Excerpt from a letter to Henry Sand, Engineer Corps, 7th Regt. N.Y.S.M. at Washington D.C., from his mother in Brooklyn, April 26, 1861:
"There are companies of Zouaves -- many of them desperate fellows -- who are used to fighting -- who glory in the idea of punishing the Plug Uglies -- they are much better antagonists for such wretches -- than the gallant 7th...Capt. Wilson's Zouaves they say are composed of prize fighters, thieves & all kinds of ruffians. They say one of them remarked that when they left, there would only [be] three rogues left in the city & one of them was [Mayor] Fernando Wood."
Excerpt from a letter to Henry Sand from his 16-year old brother, April 29, 1861:
"Today the Firemen Zouaves leave for Washington...They are a very queer set of fellows. Their dress is a bluish grey flannel jacket & pantaloons, with a felt hat. Their cuffs & the edge of the coat are bound with red & blue. The pantaloons also have a stripe."