By Ron Field
These stereoviews produced by photographer George Stacy at the camp of the 5th New York Infantry near Fortress Monroe in May 1861 picture the Zouaves on parade and off duty.
The contrast in the conformity of the uniforms on parade and the varied dress off duty is notable. The lack of consistency in the off-duty scenes can be explained by the casual, relaxed nature of the moment. And yet, it may also provide evidence of a lack of supply of Zouave clothing of sufficient quality to withstand the rigors of campaign and camp life, which was much regretted by the men of the regiment.
Stacy had something of a front row seat to the regiment’s formation. On April 22, 1861, its organizer, Col. Abram Duryée, established a recruiting station at 632 Broadway in New York City, across the street from Stacy’s studio at number 691.
Less than a month later, on May 18, Stacy joined a crowd of about 2,000 New Yorkers at Fort Schuyler in the Bronx, about 15 miles northeast of his Manhattan gallery, to watch Duryée’s Zouaves as they prepared to leave for the South. Stacy produced his first views of the regiment that day, only a few of which have surfaced. The New York Times reported in its May 22 edition, “Photographs of the regiment in line, in close column in mass, of each company separately, of the Field and Line officers, and of many individual members, were taken on Saturday by STACY, of No. 691 Broadway.”