Charleston Zouave Cadets black musicians

[Lewis Robinson]

There has been much discussion about blacks in service to the Confederacy, including as musicians. I do not believe that this particular image has been discussed, but disregard if it has. In the picture of the Charleston Zouave Cadets at Castle Pinckney the drummer and fifer on the far left are clearly black. This is the best quality picture that I could find, but if someone could post a higher resolution image; it would be much appreciated.



Also, the following link is a picture of Company K, 4th Georgia Infantry. If you use the zoom function you can find the three black musicians.

http://americanhistory.si.edu/militaryhistory/exhibition/zoomify.asp?id=266&type=g&width=640&height=480&hideAlt=1

[Lewis Robinson]

Re: Charleston Zouave Cadets black musicians

Another interesting note about the image of the 4th Georgia infantry is that all the men without breastplates have circular belt buckles. There must of been a shortage of belt buckles and an abundance of breast plates.

[Foot-slogger1862]

Re: Charleston Zouave Cadets black musicians

file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/PC%20Owner/My%20Documents/My%20Pictures/ZouaveCadetsatCastlePinckney.jpg

Mr. Robinson,
It would appear to me that yours is the clearest image of the Charleston Zouave Cadets and their black musicians that I could find. Heck, on most of the others the individual slats in the wall directly behind the cadets cannot be seen. In the link I've submitted above, there is yet another image of the cadets drilling within Castle Pinckney, and if my eyes serve me, it would appear that we have two black musicians standing behind the frock clad officers at the left of the line.

Regards,
Ryan D. W. Kiesel
bmorebasschaser@verizon.net

[Foot-slogger1862]

Re: Charleston Zouave Cadets black musicians

Link ain't working out so well. My apologies.
Ryan Kiesel

[Lewis Robinson]

Re: Charleston Zouave Cadets black musicians

Ryan, I believe this is the picture you were looking for.

[Coatsy]

Re: Charleston Zouave Cadets black musicians

Lewis, thanks for sharing. I've never noticed the musicians before. Same goes in the 4th Ga. photo. I also like the different shots of Castle Pinckney as well. I'm used to seeing the captured 11th N.Y. guys post 1st ManBullNassas.

It does look like the musicians have similar caps to the enlisted men, and perhaps the same uniform looking at the first photo.

[Kevin_D_Ammons]

Re: Charleston Zouave Cadets black musicians

I believe the black drummer in the photos of the Charleston Zouave Cadets at Castle Pinckney to be Captain Joe Green, as described in the personal account from Charleston Zouave Cadet Anton Wilhelm Riecke - author of Recollections of a Confederate Soldier

Running Blockade SS “Isabel”
An event that caused some commotion and interrupted for the time the monotony of our duties, was the appearance at daybreak one morning of a large [42] steamship fast entering the harbor, as no colors were shown by her it was thought to be one of the enemy’s blockade vessels, so the long roll was beat and the men ordered to their posts at the guns, ready to give a warm reception to, as we thought, the daring intruder; as no colors were shown by her it was thought to be one of the enemy’s blockade vessels, so the long roll was beat and the men ordered to their posts at the guns, ready to give a warm reception to, as we thought, the daring intruder; some amusement was caused by the great state of fear in which our colored drummer, now Captain Joe Green, was, whose knees were shaking so that he could hardly beat the alarm; but when the men got to ramparts of the fort they soon became serious for all eyes were strained watching the vessel which came steadily nearer and nearer. When about abreast of Fort Sumter, she fired a gun and ran up the “Stars and Bars” to her masthead, when cheer after cheer went up from the different forts and batteries and her salute returned by the same. She proved to be the “Isabel” which had run the blockade with a valuable cargo for the government.