Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-08-23
The Zeuaves Of the Revolution.

At this time it may be interesting to know
That there were Zouaves in the War of Inde-
pendence. The extract of letter, written by
a young soldier in the Connecticut army to his
parents, which follows, states the fact
Dear Parents:-Our company arrived here
last night very late, hungry and tired. Train
ing is good deal harder than old Squire Fell
tells of. If he'd marched fourteen miles day
for three days and carried his prog, besides
fathers old French war fusee, calculate he'd
not been so encouraging to US boys. don't
find fault, mind; only wish to let you know
that We are not On a May party.
O. 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 all rife
men, and are commanded by Colonel Cresap.
They don't use any beds, as We do, but sleep
right on the ground, all in a row, like Indians
do. But their antics in military exercises are
Of the curiousest kind. They load and & re their
rifles lying fat on their bellies. After that
they tangle themselves all up in a knot, and
look just like pOrcupine, with their guns
sticking out all over them. But the wonder
most part Of their actions is their hitting q
mark. Any one Of them can hit a small Do
tsto at forty rods distance. You never saw
anything like it. When We get to camp 1 will
write more about these rifemen, who would
amuso the girls if they could see them cut
their antics."
The company described in this letter is also
alluded TO In Moore's Diary Of the Revolution,
as follows:
!" August, I775.-0n Friday evening last
arrived at Lsncaster, Penn, on their way to
the American camp, Cspt. Cresap's company
of rifemen, consisting Of l30 active, brave
young fellows, many Of whom have been In the
late expedition under Lord Dunmore against
the Indians. They bear in their bodies visible
marks Of their prowess, and show scars and
Il do
Iliad- They show you, to use the poets words,
Where the CORD battle bled at every vein y
ss0ne of the warriors in particular shows the
cicatrice Of four bullet holes through his body.
These men have been bred in the woods to
hardships and dangers from their infancy
They appear as if they were entirely unac-
quaintsd with, and had never felt the passion
or, fear. With their rifles in their hands, they
assume kind Of omnipotence over their enc.
mics. One cannot much wonder at this when
We mention q fact which can be fully attested
by several Of the reputable persons who were
sye.witnesses of it. Two brothers in the COM
pany took piece of board ave inches broad
and seven inches long, with q bit of white pa
ner. about the size Of a dollar, nailed in the
board perpendicularly between his knees, the
other, ct distance Of upward Of so yards and
without any kind Of rest, shot eight bullets
through il successiyely, and spared q brother'i .
thigh 90 - ) -.s -. .-
; Another of the company held barrel stave
perpendicularly in his hands with one edge
close to his side while one Of bis comrades, al
the Same distance and In the same manner be-
fore mentioned, shot several bullets thought Il
without any apprehension Of danger on sithe,
side. The spectators, appearing to be amazed
at these feats, were told that .there were up
ward Of 6fty persons in the same company VIII
seoaid do the same thing; that Shers vas moi
one Who could not plug 10 builstsout Of 20, .,
they termed it, within an inch of the head o.
q tsnpenny nail. In short, to evince the con.
fdence they possessed in their dexterity with
these kind OF arms, some Of them proposed e
stand with apples on their heads, while others
At the same distance, undertook to shoot them
of but the people who saw the other expert
nents declined to be witnesses Of this. A. i