The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-08-10
[CoMMUNTCATED.1
THE ZDHdUEg


Editors of the "Erchange:''-The recent visit of
this fine corps and the excitement created by their
drill, discipline and appearance, seem to me to pre-
sent favorable opportunity for few remarks
upon military matters, and few suggestions to
our own military, to enable them to discriminate
between what is useful and necessary and what is
merely snowy, if not positively mischievous. I
wish particularly to call the attention of the newly
formed battalion of Maryland Guard to the excel
lencies, and particularly to the very few defects of
the sO-called "Zouave drill" The high tome the
steady discipline, the mechanical precision, and es-
pecially the excellent moteriel of the Zouaves can
not be too highly commended. / think that no
small portion of all these excellencies are due more
to their steady adherance to temperance than to any
other one quality. An experience of many years.
and an active participation in military duties, both
in garris on and in the field, has proven to be-
yond dispute, that in physical endurance alone the
absolutely abstemous soldier can endure double
the fatigue and hard labor that his comrade can
who drinks liquors in any form. l am not writing
a treatise, however, on temperance, so we will pass
to other matters.
The drill proper, of the Zouaves, is precisely
what is taught in the systems of Scott & Hardee,
practiced at West Point and in the regular SER
vice. The bayonet practice, the manual of arms,
the formation from two ranks to four, for flank
movements and back again, and the entire system of
OF company drill and man@uvre of the Chicago sol
diers, far as it conforms to the regular systems
in in the United States service is not only most
creditable to those troops, but evinces thorough
ness of training and an individual application on
the part of each man that | have seldom seen
eaualled. have heard many spectators saw that
their performances have never been equalled, but
those OF my readers who remember the performances
of the famous Light Battery under Major Ringgold,
as it was when stationed at Fort McHenry some 16
years ago. will be slow to say that much Even that
famous body of men, however, certainly never sur
passed even if'they equaed the Zouaves in ghtness
elasticity, and what the French call elan. In all
these respects | commend cordially the perform
ances of the Zouaves to the close imitation of our
own volunteer military.
Having said this much in praise, and as my sole
object in penning this communication is to be of
some use, if possible, to own volunteers permit
word or two of criticism, in no invdiOus temper.
Many of the clancy" manGuvres of the ZOuaves,
though snowy, and very captivating, merely as
displays, are mere surplussage, and in one or two
instances that l noticed might become absolutely
hurtful. For instance, in marching by the right
flank the formation on the right by file into line,
was executed with all the precision and excellence
of drill and training that characterized all their
other eyolutions But for the sake of avoiding the
apparent confusion attendant upon this man@uvre,
If executed strictly in accordance with the rule
laid down in the school for the Company, the rear
rank marked time little too long, thus frightening
signify the time well as slightly increasing the
por , required, technically, taking up too much
sh;r,n 81 Ins, in single company OF twenty or
tnirty mes, is almost inappreciable, but the evil
"ooio ue proPagated and extended to such a de.
as W ue nurtul in battalion of eight hundred
vi lnousenu men, and companies hardly ever
act in service, except as COMPONENT narts of bat
talon, nothing should ever be tolerated in n com
pany drill which is not to be practiced in battalion
maneuvres
The firing at will, or "by ile," also shows the
same sacrifice of rapidly to effect. Most of the
firing in battle is by ile-after the first DISCHARGE
commencing on the right, each man loads and ires
independently, without waiting for his neghbor. A