St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1860-08-23
EDITORIAL CORRESPON
DENCE.

Sw1ssvALE, August 18th, go.
DEAR. Will ~ promised to write you
something about the Chicago Zouaves, and
intended doing so several days ago; but
our excessively hot weather has been dis
placed by excessive wet. It rains every
day and every night. Everything out Of
doors is dripping or swiminG and the roads
ankle deep in yellow mud, so that I do not
50 out; and everything in doors is thor
oughly penetrated with damp all the bed
ding and clothing in capital order for IRON
ing-furniture, books and carpets unwhole-
some and mouldy; and as I have been so
long accustomed to Minnesota air and SUM-
shine, this spell Of Pennsylvania weather
does not agree with me. The only safe
place appears to be in the kitchen beside
the cook stove; and this is not good
place for writing. As for personal matters,
the prospect now is that I shall get my
long standing difficulties satisfactorily and
pleasantly settled; but I doubt if my
strength will suffice for travelling or lee
turing much for some length of time, and
I am longing to see St. Cloud and some of
the people there; and hope to be there
eally in September. - ~.-.
" But the Zouayes. The press has inform
ed you that they have astonished every one
with their military maneuvers and they
certainly are the only set of men 1 have
ever sccn, who impress me with the idea
Of being able to fight, or being trained for
that purpose: Soldiers on parade always
appeared to me as if they had been "got
up for exhibition, only this and nothing
more. Their high, choaking stocks and
collars, their tight coats buttoned to the
chin, and stuffed with cotton, their ten
pound leather caps, great Aaring plumes
and stiff, pompous strut are all SO contrary
70 ones ideas Of any kind Of work, that they
have always appeared to me more like
monkeys in a Menagerie than men prepar-
ed for labor of lite and death. But the
Zouayes, as they marched into the parade
ground, filed me with kind of shudder !;
and the thought instantly occurred "what
if these men came as enemies?" Their
march is long, free, regular step, which
leaves the ground behind at rapid measure;
and gives the idea Of kind of panther
power of muscle. They look as if they
were going some place-walking for some
purpose and not to be looked at. Instead
of the stiff military boot, they have soft
CATERS, with undressed leather buttoned
tightly up around the ANGLE. outside their
red pants. I thought the gaiter altogether
like our Minnesota moccasin-boots, as they
appeared to give full play to the muscles
Of the feet, allowing them to spread to their
natural shape; and 50 giving that free,
swinging tread which carrys such an idea
Of power to get about. They wear light,
blue-gray flannel shirts, closed in front !;
and short, dark blue cloth jackets rounded
of in front at both top and bottom, with
no attempt at fastening over the Chest
Their necks are bare and bronzed to the
collar bone; and they evidently breathe
without asking leave Of coat, vest OF collar.
They wear small, jaunty, scarlet caps which
are as little in the way as anything could
be to protect the top Of the head and shade
the eyes; and altogether they have as
much the appearance Of being dressed for
hard work as have q troop Of Upper Mis-
sissippi lumbermen, on their way to spend
q winter in our Northern pine woods. God
help the city on which regiment: of them
should be let loose! 49,. ... ...,.,.-.
+. Some Of the Pittsburg papers spoke of
them n small and rather "hard looking
customers" and from their forte being
personal activity I expected to see them Of
that class Of lhen who approach the monk
ey; but was disappointed. They are small
men, or their dress gives them that appear
anoe; but their features are generally good,
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