Zouave jacket

1861-1865

Both the Confederate and Union armies boasted regiments of fierce Zouave fighters. The origin of the Zouave military tradition lies in North Africa with the Berbers. During the French colonization of Algeria in the 1830s, French forces came in contact with Berber fighters who sported stunning uniforms and fighting prowess. French soldiers adapted the Zouave-styled uniform and with their victories in the Crimean Wars in the mid-1850s, military units in the United States were styling themselves as Zouave soldiers.