The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1860-08-08
The zouaves of the Revolution.


To the Editors Of the Evening Post.
At this time it may be interesting
to your numerous readers to know
that there were Zouaves in the War
of Independence. The extract of a
letter, written by q young soldier in
the Connecticut army to his parents,
which follows, states the fact
"Dear Parents: Our company
arrived here last night very late, hun
cry and tired. Training is a good
deal harder than old Squire Fell tells
of. If he'd marched fourteen miles a
day for three days and carried his
prog, besides fathers old French war
fusee, I calculate he'd not been so en-
courageing to us boys. I don't find
fault mind only wish to let you
know that we are not on May par
ty.
At Milford tavern we were Joined
by two companies of soldiers from
New Haven, and a. company of queer
fellows-as Jake calls them--from the
Southern colonies. They are rifemen
and are commanded by Col. Cresap.
They don't use any beds as We do, but
sleep right on the ground, all in a row
like the Indians do. But their antics
in military exercise are of the curl
ousest kind. They load and fire their
rifles lying fiat on their bellies. After
that they tangle themselves all up in
a knot, and look just like a porcupine
with their guns sticking out all over
them. But the wondermost part Of
their actions IS Sheir hitting mark.
Any one of them can hit small po-
tato at forty rods distance. You new
er saw anything like it. When we
get to camp ] will write more about
these riaemen, who wonld amnse the
girls if they could see them cut their
antics"
The rest of the letter is of private
nature, and uninteresting to the pub
lie. If it is agreeable | would like
you to publish the extract, and oblige
descendent of the writer.
j s. Pratt.
The company described in this let
ter is also alluded to in Moor's diary
of the Revolution as follows:
august I, l7l5. On Friday eve
ming last, arrived at Lancaster Penn.
on their way to the American camp,
Capt. Cresip's company of riAemen,
consisting of one hundred and thirty
active, brave young fellows, many OF
whom have been in the late expedi-
ton under Lord Dunmore, against the
Indians They bear in their bodies
visible marks of their proves, and
show scars and wounds that would
do honor to Homer's Hiad. Zone OF
the warriors in particular shows the
cicatrices of four bullet holes through
his body. These men have been bred
in the woods to hardships and dam
gers from their infancy. They appear
as IT they were entirely unacquainted
with and had never felt the passion oil
fear. With their rifles in their hands
they assume a kind of omnipotence
over their enemies. One cannot much
wonder at this when we mention q
fact which can be fully attested by
several persons who were eyewitness
ses of it. Two brothers in the compa-
ny took piece of board, FIVE inches
broad and seven inches long. with .
bit of white paper about the size of .
dollar, nailed in the centre, and while
one of them supported this board be.
tween his knees, the other at dis.
lance of upwards of sixty yards, and
without rest, shot eight bullets thro
it successfully, and spared brothers
thigh. Another of the company hello
q barrel staVe in his hands, with one
edge close to his side, while one of hi'
comrades, at the same distance, and
in the same manner as before desert.
bed, shot several bullets through Il
without any apprehension Of danger
on either SIDE The spectators ap.
| pearing to be amazed at these feats
we're told that there were ffty persons
in the same company who could dc
the same thing-that there was not one
who could not plug nineteen bullets
out Of twenty, as they termed il, with