New Years on the Islands: Festivities of the Keystone Zouaves

It’s easy to think that our ancestors during the Civil War rarely enjoyed an opportunity for fun, but Private Jonathan Kinsel’s description of how his regiment enjoyed their New Year’s holiday in coastal South Carolina shows otherwise.

“Taking everything into consideration, we enjoyed quite a pleasant time,” he wrote. “The performance was entertaining and the ale, cider, cakes, and apples which our ever-thoughtful colonel purchased for the occasion were refreshing. The wheelbarrow race also caused great merriment. The competitors were blindfolded and placed directly in line with a certain point, the one coming nearest the goal being the victor. The fun consisted in their deviation at every imaginable angle from a straight line, trotting soberly along, each under the pleasing impression that he was making a straight line for the mark. Of course, the one farthest out of the way was greeted with peals of derisive laughter and encouraged to renewed diligence by assurances of success.”

Private Kinsel, a member of Co. F of the 76th Pennsylvania Volunteers (Keystone Zouaves), was a regular correspondent of his hometown newspaper the Altoona Tribune, in which the following letter was published on January 20, 1863.

 

This unknown member of the 76th Pennsylvania sports the distinctive Zouave uniform worn by the Keystone Zouaves. The dark blue collarless jacket with a false vest, manufactured at the Schuykill Arsenal, was trimmed in red and combined with the loose-fitting Arab-style trousers permitted the soldier freer movement. Brown leather jambieres and white gaiters finished the look. The regiment served its first two years along the South Carolina coast, taking part in engagements at Secessionville and Pocataligo before taking part in the operations against Battery Wagner in the summer of 1863. 

Hilton Head, South Carolina

January 3, 1863

          Although but a few days have elapsed since penning my last epistolary, yet having something of importance to communicate I again lay down the gun and take up the pen. I purpose on the present occasion to tell you how we celebrated New Year’s Day. We enjoyed on that day what we have not enjoyed during the period we have been trying to serve our country; that is, a holiday.

          That part of our regiment wearing the shoulder straps concluded to give us what they called a grand time and at the same time furnish themselves food for amusement, particularly the latter. For this purpose, they drew up a program of exercises and amusing games and subscribed a considerable sum of money to be disbursed among the successful competitors as prizes and also to procure refreshments for the regiment.

          The day was beautiful, resembling a day in the month of June and all looked on with eager interest to see who would take first place. Here’s the program for the day and the successful competitors:

1-     Target Practice. Three competitors from each company, distance 200 yards, best string in three shots each. First prize $3 (J.D. Temple, Co. B), Second $2 (Austin Porter, Co. H), Third $1 (J. Lewis, Co. G)

2-     Hurdle Foot Race. One competitor from each company; distance 100 yards and across 10 hurdles 2-1/2 feet high. First prize $3 (John A. Boyles, Co. F), Second $2 (Harry A. Furguson, Co. A), Third $1(Corporal F. Dougherty, Co. H)

3-     Hurdle Sack Race. One competitor from each company, distance 50 yards and across one hurdle six inches high. First prize $3 (Corporal Cornelius Walker, Co. F), Second $2 (D. Coulter, Co. G), Third $1 (C. Helsbey, Co. D)

4-     Wheelbarrow Race. One competitor from each company, distance 100 yards with competitors blindfolded and trundling a wheelbarrow towards a given point. Prize $3

5-     Climbing Feat. One competitor from each company to climb a 15-foot-high greased pole. Purse $5. No successful competitor.

6-     Meal Feat. Exclusively for contrabands. A half dollar was hidden in a tub of meal to be sought for and taken therefrom with the mouth. Prize $1.50

   

Uniform of Pvt Jediah K. Burnham,
Co. A, 76th Pennsylvania 
(Metropolitan Museum of Art)

        The performance commenced at about 9 o’clock and lasted until 5 p.m. You will perceive by looking over the list that Co. F made their mark. John A. Boyles took first prize running and jumping. John is good on the muscle and is also a good solider attending well to the duties assigned him. Co. F can always hold their own either in drilling or playing. The sack race caused great merriment. The competitors were tied in sacks, having nothing but their heads visible and with their pedal extremities thus trammeled, they were required to run a race. The absurd method of locomotion and the utter helplessness of those who were so unfortunate as to lose their balance and tumble over elicited shouts of laughter. Corporal Walker won this race and the corporal knows how to “take a sack.”

        The wheelbarrow race also caused great merriment. The competitors were blindfolded and placed directly in line with a certain point, the one coming nearest the goal being the victor. The fun consisted in their deviation at every imaginable angle from a straight line, trotting soberly along, each under the pleasing impression that he was making a straight line for the mark. Of course, the one farthest out of the way was greeted with peals of derisive laughter and encouraged to renewed diligence by assurances of success. The greased pole rather beat the boys. The competitors all tried their hands and failed.

        But the most ludicrous scene of all was the Meal Feat. Half a dollar was hidden in a tub of meal to be sought for and taken therefrom with the mouth, the successful party receiving as a reward the half dollar and one dollar besides. The ludicrous appearance of the contraband’s head after it emerged from the tub of meal can be more easily imagined than described.

        Taking everything into consideration, we enjoyed quite a pleasant time. The performance was entertaining and the ale, cider, cakes, and apples which our ever-thoughtful colonel purchased for the occasion were refreshing. But as I have already written more than I intended, I will close for the present with the promise of more in the future.

          This would prove to be Kinsel’s last New Year’s celebration as he was killed in action July 11, 1863, during his regiment’s attack on Fort Wagner.

Source:

Letter from Jonathan L. Kinsel, Co. F, 76th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Altoona Tribune (Pennsylvania), January 20, 1863, pg. 1


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