Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-07-30

Queer Story ola Refugee from the SOUTH
FOTciele lmPTessment 81 nIen-na oi.s,a,.S Orisl-
The New York Evening Post has the fol-
lowing - fr5
We have received visit from a young
man OF ls who gives an interesting expert
ence OF life in the Louisiana Zoueves. Orig
inally resident Of Cleveland, he went to
New Orleans two years ago to make his for
tune. The only available place which offered
the foundation for such a manufacture was
a plantation some miles out of the city,
where be hired his services as hunter for the
cOmnissariat of the "big house" at $50
per month. Last spring he became tired Of
this easy but not progressive method OF ag-
grsn6isement and returned to New Orleans.
Here Re fell sick and remained long enough
to exhaust all his savings. He was well
enough to walk out one Sunday evening,
and rad strolled but square, when police
man clapped him on the shorIder and took
him to the acaboose.n There he remained
till Monday morning, at which time he was
taken before the Recorder. The following
grave and judicial ceremony then took place,
called in New Orleans a /" trial" Recorder
g What's the charge against this boy 2'--
Reak- Dangerous and suspicious eharacter."
Recorder than looks into the mild and beard.
less countenance of our informant which,
even the sickness, confinement and long
journey, is TO northern eyes, as innocent of
dread intent as 3 ripe peach. Recorder
reads that cOuntenance in an Omniscient
manner through periscopic speetacles. ayes,
TO be surel Young man show your hands"
The hends are also pronounced dangerous
and suspicious. Ahsr this triumph of pal
mistry the Recorder pronounces oraculsrlg
Six months in the prison" Then adds;
" If you don't get voucher six more in the
'WorkhOuse after that"
sThe young man had hardly taken off his
handouts and stepped into the workhouse
from Black Maria, when a man approach
es him with long paper like a woman's
rights petition. This man is at once captain
OF tie wotkhouse, the parish prison, and a
compSny OF Louisiana Zouaves-a union of
functions by no means incongruous. The
pape- is an enlistment roll Of the latter-of
the former also, for when the young man
signs it to escape from the alternative Of
prisoa or death, six of his fellow prisoners
subscribe below him.
Hs Il then clothed In a blue hickory shirt
and duck pants-these being. preliminary 70
the Zouave dress, for which he is now mea-
sured. He then gets a drink of whisky
He is then taken to the BARRIERS, has his head
shaved, and gets another drink. At the
same time every fellow recruit with beard
is compelled to have it raced to a goatee
and nOustache. Then they get some more
whisky.
After this the young man goes into qua.-
ters, consisting of a cotton-press with an
unsFspt floor, on which the soldiers are
kindly per 3itted to sleep, no mention being
made Of beds or blankets. In the morning
cones roll-calL Then more whisky to the
compsay deployed in the line. Then break
fast-then more whisky-then drill for wo
hours half Of it at double quick through
Canal street-then more whisky again an
other drill in the afternoon followed by
whisky. Roll call, whisky and bed, with
beans and beef interspersed, complete the
day. The only thing of which there is
plenty is whisky.
If anybody makes q noise after going to
bed. the officer in charge Immediately "ends
him up" and gives him a strap2ing. The
officers are almost all French; some of them
cannot speak word of English. An affray
which resulted, before my iniormant's eyes,
IrOC. DiOW given 70 one OF Lne men Dy one
of these officers, who mistook civility for i'm
puoence, resulted in the death of eight men
and two officers, bayonets and brickbats be-
ing 7sed freely.
Il New Orleans two dollar commission
is paid to certain man brokers for every re-
cruit they bring in Means are not inquired
into. These brokers intoxicate every boy or
man they can lay their hands on-cart him
to the ofice-leave him there till he is sober
enough to sign his name-th4n, if he refuses,
give him the alternative of death or prison.
If laboring man is going past the Office,
these fellows manufacture a crowd and hus-
tie him in. Once in it is all up with him.
The two dollar disbursement is the only one
known in New Orleans on account of the
soldier. Our young man never found a
single eomrsde of bis who had got cent.
On the 6rst day of July he was discharged
sick. He managed, BY means of his dis
charge papers, to reach Louisville, where,
through frequent Oyerhauling by Vigilance
Committees, they fell to pieces. Re is now
is New York, weak from long sickness, heavy
work and travel, and without means Of live