Collis' Zouaves

by Edward J. Hagerty

Led by the colorful colonel Charles H.T. Collis, the 114th Pennsylvania Infantry was in many ways unique among the regiments serving in the Union Army. In Collis' Zouaves, Edward J. Hagerty reconstructs the Civil War experiences of this unusual group of soldiers who embraced the flamboyant uniform style made famous by the French army's Zouaves. In addition to describing the regiment's battlefield exploits, Hagerty comments on the political maneuvers of both Collis and his men and probes the motivations of the soldiers in their daily commitment to their cause. Hagerty has assembled a collective biography of the men in the regiment, analyzing how such factors as age, occupation, and place of birth relate to promotion, desertion, and the likelihood of becoming a casualty.