Year: 1861

buttons, under the idea that this is all there IS
of soldiers life, will, most likely, find them
selves mistaken We want nobody in our corps
who isn't strong, well-built, and able-bodied !;
for we expect, when the fighting really does
commence, that we shall have to do the most
of it-so you fellows who have sent US word
that you are coming, may think better OF it,
and either stay at home, or get well up in your
gymnastics before you show yourselves in
Washington. Why, you'd hardly believe 1t,
but we had forty recruits offered last Saturday,
and there were more than half of them that
couldn't lift thousand pounds apiece, three
of them couldn't jump but twenty-eight feet
high, five of them couldn't throw the common
est double somersault without taking off their
knapsacks and laying down their muskets, and
one fellow presented himself who positively
couldn't walk on his hands and carry his sword
bayonet between Lis toes Such lamentable
ignorance of the very first requirements of
Zouave practice can hardly be believed.


We are getting along pretty we'll in our
drilling now, and we ought soon to be prof.
cient for we have had twenty one hours drill
day for the past three days. We get along
speedily in our peculiar tactics for the applica-
tion of gymnastics to military purposes.


Ellsworth has introduced some entirely new
features into his system. For instance, every
man has now to carry, strapped to his KNAPP
sack, small plate Of boiler iron, about the
size of an oldfashioned dripping pan. These
plates are ball-proof, and are used in making
what we call the Zouave fort" This ingeni-
Gus structure is formed in this way: Rows Of
men stand on the ground in the required out
line of the fort other fellows stand on their
shoulders, and all, as they stand side by side,
interlock their plates of boiler-iron, so as to
form ball-proof surface toward the enemy
embrasures and loop-holes are left at the prop
er intervals, of course. Columbads and rifed
cannon are at once mounted in the embrasures,
and the rife corps take their stations at the
loop holes, and in few minutes we can pepper
our enemy all to pieces.


Sometimes we mount a few barbette guns
on the shoulders of the fellows in the top row !;
but we had rather not do this, as it exposes
the gunners, and holding six rows of men, with
their arms, ammunition and ort-plates, with
three of our heavy guns is considered enough
of a load for the lower row of men to carry,
without the extra weight of barbette guns.


As it is, some Of the lower row of fellows
have to hold weight of two tons and half,
which they can do for five hours without finch
ing. At the end of that time, however, the
Colonel finds that he must give his fort a
lunch or else it begins to get weak in the low
er story.


You can see at once the tremendous adyan-
tage of having fort that you can erect in
four minutes in the very teeth of the enemy
a fort, every stone of which can fight fort
that can't be stormed and that can be taken
down and set up in another place the very in
slant the enemy bring any heavy guns to bear
on it,


We are training set of men now for the
lower story, who shall be able TO run with the
new-fashioned edfce on their backs for the
distance of mile and half


Imagine the utter astonishment Of an enemy
at seeing strong fort deliberately pick itself
up, and, with hurrah, run over into the very
heart of their lines, and there open its batteries
on them at yard and halfs distance.


Imagine the CONSERVATION of storming
party, on getting their scaling ladders all ready
for a determined rush over the wall of a fort.
to see that fort suddenly drop all to pieces,
and each particular stone transform itself into
stalwart soldier, with sword bayonet in his
hands, pair of revolvers in his belt, and
long knife between his teeth.


And then imagine, if such thing be possible,
one regiment surrounded by crowd of exult-
ing enemies, who think to butcher the pet
lambs :" at their leisure, how it would astound
the enemies aforesaid to see the lambs =" in
stantly make themselves ready to mold out
against fortnight's siege.


Very well, these are just the things we hope
soon to do.


That your readers may have an idea Of the
style of drill we go through, III tell you. We
get up at two in the morning, and have sum-
merset drill for two hours by squads, then by
companies, and then we form in regimental
line, and turn fourteen summersets forward,
and fourteen backward, to the tap of the drum,
keeping exact time, loading and firing revolv-
ing rifles at target as we came forward and
firing at another target as we go back, with
revolver in each hand. II any balls are found
more than an inch and half from the centre,
the man is discovered and put on columbiad
guard for the whole day this means keeping
guard all day with two ten-inch columbiads
tied across his shoulders.


After somerset drill, we have jumping and
firing in the air by platoons for two hours. At
the word of command, the platoon jump tbir-
ty-three feet straight mp, firing at an object
fifty yards in advance, the instant they reach
their extreme altitude This sort of practice
the Colonel thinks will be remarkably useful
in firing at an enemy concealed behind breast
works.


Then we have breakfast. Each mans brea-