THE DRESS OF THE ZOUAVES.
Brooklyn, July 24, 1861.
To the Editor of the Brooklyn Eagle.
In your issue of to-night you say a great deal of praise given the Zouaves is due the 14th Regt. – the similarity of uniform causing them to be confounded. If I mistake not, the Zouaves have a blueish grey with a narrow trimming of red and black; the 14th have red pants and dark blue jackets. There may be a striking resemblance, but I for one “can’t see it.”
W. W. D.
Brooklyn (NY) Daily Eagle, 7/25/1861
Contributed by John Hennessy
Harry Smeltzer
Bull Runnings 
So even back then… As an Ellsworth historian, I run into folks who claim the 11th NY Fire Zouaves wore red pants. Not so–during the early war several other Zouave units did so, especially the 14th New York, or Duryea’s Zouaves. However, (especially concerning the red pants at Christmas and the giving of gifts), the U.S. Zouave Cadets, Ellsworth’s tour group, DID wear red pants. So if you get a gift from me, the little fellow is representing the Zouave Cadets, not the 11th. I can easily understand the confusion, especially if one had seen the Zouave Cadets during their tour and thought the same uniform might be used. The 11th did wear their red fire shirts under blue-grey jackets.
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