Above Us, Or Around Us

    So read the scroll stitched onto the National Color of the 5th New York Volunteers (Duryee's Zouaves), surely a regiment that needs little introduction.  Already a veteran unit in 1862, they earned their greatest and most terrible honor on the last day of Second Bull Run, when the 525-strong regiment suffered 332 casualties, at least 120 of them fatal, in under 10 minutes.  Suffice it to say that Zouaves fulfilled the oath in their motto.
     There is plenty of information about the 5th on the Internet, but I draw your attention to this article, which describes in vivid detail those lethal ten minutes on August 30th.

       The miniatures are of course from the Perry Zouave set and were a real pleasure to paint.  You may note a few altered weapons - two companies carried Sharps rifles, which I tried (imperfectly) to recreate.

     Here we Sgt. Allison, carrying the National Color, and Sgt. Spelman,carrying the Regimental Color. Allison was an Englishman, Spelman an Irishman. Both were killed carrying the flags of their new nation, as was every other man in the Color Guard but one.

     In between them is Capt. (acting Col.) Cleveland Winslow, a capable but rather unpopular officer who would lead the regiment until his wounding at Cold Harbor.  He was the son of the regiment's chaplain, who accompanied him back to Alexandria on a hospital steamer.  During the voyage, the elder Winslow fell overboard and drowned, and the younger Winslow succumbed to his injuries soon after reaching Alexandria.
     The flags are hand-painted.  I managed to get them in the right size for once - noticeably larger than those of the other regiments I've done. The Zouave set comes with only the spear-point finials for the flag-poles, so I sculpted an eagle for the National Color. Capt. Winslow is actually a Perry Confederate officer. In his "official photo," his sleeves are decorated with Austrian knots - a rarity among Union officers.  Winslow was actually mounted (his horse virtually disintegrated in a hail of bullets, and all other mounted officers were killed), but for purposes of identification, I have decided to keep all regimental officers on foot.

          On the end of the line is Sgt. McDowell, a gigantic ex-fireman who, unwilling to retreat and too injured to reload his weapon, stood in his place and scowled at the approaching rebels until he was shot through the forehead.

      I should have another Federal update soon.