Q48 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[AtGUST, 
Fig. 10.— A “ZOUAVE.” 
The Editor with his Young Readers. 
Explanation of War Terms.—No. II. 
In the July number of the Agriculturist, descrip¬ 
tions were given of some of the heavier implements 
.of war, with which attacks are made upon an enemy 
at a distance. This month we have illustrated some 
of the arms and equipments carried by the soldier, 
with a few other matters which from their novelty at¬ 
tract attention. Fig. 10, represents unarmed Zouave, 
a new style of soldier in this country. The name is 
of French origin. Zouave soldiers were originally 
found in Algeria, in Africa. They were chiefly 
Arabs and Moors. The French conquered Alge¬ 
ria, and the Emperor found the Zouaves such des¬ 
perate fighting men, 
and their dress and 
drill so admirably 
adapted for service, 
that he took them in- 
Fig. 11. to his army, and also 
had regiments of his own French soldiers 
equipped in the same manner, and instruct¬ 
ed in their tactics. The late Col. Ellsworth, of 
Chicago, having witnessed the efficiency of these 
soldiers in the French army, introduced the style 
into this country. He formed and instructed a 
company of Zouaves, and then visited several parts 
of the United States and gave exhibitions of their 
proficiency. This led to the forming of new com¬ 
panies ; and there are now thousands of these men 
engaged in the war. The dress of 
the Zouave is simple but admirable. 
It consists of a loose flannel jacket 
looped together at the neck, and 
wide loose trowsers, also of flannel, 
gathered in a band above the ankle. 
Underneath there is a colored flan¬ 
nel shirt. Portions of the dress 
are trimmed with colored braid, ac¬ 
cording- to the fancy of the various 
regiments. The feet are encased in a 
peculiar kind of shoe, of light color, Fig. 12. 
intended expressly for marching,and some regiments 
have leather leggins extending from the shoe to the 
bottom of the trowsers. The head is covered with 
a flannel cap, often without any front piece, 
and with a large tassel hanging behind. The whole 
dress is light and loose, and enables the wearer to 
move freely in any direction. 
The drill of the Zouaves requires greater activity 
than the ordinary evolutions of soldiers. They are 
taught to load and fire in almost every position, 
kneeling, lying down, or on the full run. They are 
also 1,rained in gymnastic exercises, so that a well 
■disciplined company will mount a wall without lad¬ 
ders, by climbing upon each others shoulders. Their 
drill with the bayonet makes them almost invulner¬ 
able against the attacks of cavalry. 
The Zouaves are generally armed with the Minie 
rifle. This is like the common rifle, except in the 
construction of the ball. The ordinary 
musket, you remember, is smooth- 
bored and is loaded with a cartridge 
(Fig. 11.) consisting of a small paper 
tube filled with powder, and having a 
round ball fastened to the end. In 
loading, the soldier bites off a bit of 
the paper, pours the powder into the 
barrel, and then rams down the ball 
and empty cartridge paper, which 
serves as wadding. The rifle ball was 
formerly made round like the musket 
ball, and by forcing it down the groov¬ 
ed barrel, its sides were fitted into the 
grooves of the rifle. The Minie ball is 
shown in Fig. 12. It is conical or 
pointed in front, and the back part is 
cast with groves or rings. The back 
end is hollow, and filled with powder. 
It slips into the rifle easily, but when 
the piece is fired the powder expands 
the lead of the hollow part, and forces 
it into the grooves of the barrel. 
This causes it to rotate in its passage 
outward, as was described in the July 
Agriculturist. The ball was named 
Minie, from its French inventor, Cap¬ 
tain Minie.— Sharp's Rifle , Fig. 13, is 
so constructed that it is loaded at Fig. 13. 
the breech. The curved metal plate on the under 
side of the stock, called the guard, turns down¬ 
ward and opens a chamber in the rear of the barrel, 
into which the charge is slipped. This rifle 
can be loaded very rapidly; it is much 
used by troops on horseback or cavalry. 
The bayonet, Fig. 14, is a sharp pointed 
steel instrument made to fit on the end of a 
musket. It is named from Bayonne in 
France, where it was first made. It is a 
terrible instrument in the hands of active 
men at close quarters. When not in use, it 
is usually carried in a scabbard in the belt 
of the soldier.— The Saber Bayonet, Fig. 15, 
is an improvement on the old style. It may 
be used alone as a sword, or fastened to the 
gun by means of the ring on the side, and 
the notch in the handle.— The Revolver , of 
Fig. 14 
width there are many different sorts, 
is too well known to need particular descrip¬ 
tion. It is a pistol, made of various sizes, with from 
five to seven barrels, which revolve or turn at each 
cocking of the lock, so as to bring a loaded barrel un¬ 
der the hammer, until all are fired. The Colt’s Re¬ 
volver and several others,' have but one barrel with 
spiral grooves, like a rifle. The charges are put into 
tubes in a cylinder at the breech, which is turned 
around to bring the successive charges against the 
barrel. This makes the pistol lighter than if there 
were half a dozen barrels of full length. 
The Bowie Knife, Fig. 16, is a murderous weapon, 
carried in the belt, to be used in close hand to hand 
conflict. There is seldom need of it, as the 
bayonet and the revolver usually answer 
all purposes. Hunters find this a convenient 
weapon for slaughtering wounded animals,^ 
and removing their skins.— The Cavalry 
Sword, Fig. 17, is carried by soldiers on 
horseback, in addition to the short guns 
(carbines) with which they are usually arm¬ 
ed. They use their swords in making a 
charge, that is riding at full gallop among 
' the enemy, and hacking them to pieces. 
The Broadsword, Fig. 18, is carried by 
officers of a regiment.—Besides the weap¬ 
ons which the soldier carries, he is furnish¬ 
ed with a knapsack, or square leather case> 
strapped to his shoulders, as shown 
in Fig. 10. In this are carried extra ar¬ 
ticles of clothing, and a tin plate, or ^ 
pan, and knife and fork. He has also at- ° 
tached to his belt, at the right hip, a small leather 
box called the cartridge box, for holding ammuni¬ 
tion. The canteen, also fastened to the belt is a 
small flat bottle of tin, india rubber, etc., for carry¬ 
ing water. The blanket which serves as a protec¬ 
tion from rain and cold, and for bed 
clothing at night, is packed in a small 
roll, strapped on top of the knapsack. 
The various articles carried by a fully 
equipped foot soldier, weigh from 
forty to fifty five pounds.— The Have' 
lock is a white linen covering for the 
cap, with a cape attached, for protecting 
the head and shoulders from the sun. 
It was invented by Gen. Havelock, in 
India, and is an admirable contrivance 
for preventing sun stroke. Figs. 20 and 
21, represent two different forms of this 
article. They would be excellent for 
farmers to use in the field in hot weather. 
Organization of an Army. 
When a large number of men are as¬ 
sembled for any purpose, some kind of 
order and discipline must be maintained; 
otherwise there will be constant con- Fig. 16. 
fusion, and very little can be effected. The great¬ 
er the number of soldiers, the more they would 
be in each other’s way, and the more easily they 
could be routed, if each man were not instructed to 
occupy a particular place, and to move in unison 
with his comrades. A single company of one hun¬ 
dred disciplined troops, will easily put to flight a 
thousand persons assembled in a mob. 
In order to proper discipline, all armies are di¬ 
vided into small numbers of men, each under com¬ 
mand of its proper officer. The unit or lowest 
branch of an army is called a Company. It contains 
from fifty to a hundred men, including officers. 
Most companies in war have the latter number. 
The officers of a company are the 
Captain, and two lieutenants, 
who are called commissioned of¬ 
ficers, and from four to six ser¬ 
geants, and the same number of 
corporals, called non-com mission¬ 
ed officers. The company formed 
on the field, is divided into two 
equal parts called platoons, and 
each platoon is subdivided into 
two sections. Each platoon is 
commanded by a lieutenant; 
each section by a sergeant, assist¬ 
ed by a corporal. The captain 
commands the whole company; 
his orders being repeated and 
carried out by the inferior officers. 
The first Sergeant is also called 
the Orderly Sergeant. He carries 
the books of the company, and 
calls the roll night and morning. 
If the Captain falls in battle, the first 
Lieutenant takes his place. Two or 
more companies up to the number 
of five, or half a regiment, form a 
Battalion. This name is sometimes 
given also to a whole regiment. A 
regiment is made up of ten companies, 
and thus numbers a thousand men, when 
full. The officers of a regiment, be¬ 
sides the usual company officers, are 
the Colonel, or first in command, next 
to him a Lieutenant Colonel, then 2 
Majors, 1 adjutant, 1 Quartermaster, 1 
Commissary. The Quartermaster's duty 
is to provide lodging places or quarters, 
and to furnish clothing for the regiment. 
The Commissary has charge of the pro¬ 
vision department. He purchases the 
food, and gives out the 'rations or portions 
to which each man is entitled. The 
other regimental officers, named above, 
repeat to the men and carry into effect the 
orders of the Colonel. A Brigade is com¬ 
posed of two or more regiments, to which 
are usually added one or two companies 
of cavalry , (soldiers on horseback,) and a 
number of cannon with their artillerists 
or men to work them. The Brigade is j,j ^8. 
commanded by a Brigadier General, who 
is assisted in executing his orders by several offi¬ 
cers called the Staff, who are taken from the regi- 
