Sherri - you asked about the Zouave, Here is an answer in two parts. The Zouaves of the American Civil War took their name from companies in the French Army. They had zouaves as early as 1830 in Africa. The American uniforms were quite different from that of the regular soldier. Usually brightly colored baggy trousers and blousey shirts topped by a fancy cap.

The origins of the Zouaves can be traced to the Zouaoua, a fiercely independent Kabyli tribe living in the rocky hills of Algeria and Morocco. In the summer of 1830 a number of Zouaoua tendered their services to the French colonial army, and in October of that year were organized into two battalions of auxiliaries. Over the following decade these Zouaves -- as the French styled them -- proved their valor in dozens of bloody desert encounters. Although the Zouave units were increasingly comprised of native Frenchmen, their distinctive uniform remained a derivation of traditional North African dress: A short, collarless jacket; a sleeveless vest (gilet); voluminous trousers (serouel); 12-foot long woolen sash (ceinture); white canvas leggings (guetres); leather greaves (jambieres); and of course the tasseled fez (chechia) and turban (cheche). In their time the French Zouaves were better known than the French Foreign Legion.

Most of the above comes from http://www.zouave.org/

Pt 2 Numerous Zouave regiments were organized from soldiers of the United States of America who adopted the name and the North African–inspired uniforms during the American Civil War. The Union army had more than 70 volunteer Zouave regiments throughout the conflict, while the Confederates fielded only about 25 Zouave units

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zouave#Zouaves_of_the_United_States_of...

Prior to the US Civil War, "Zouave fever" spread to America. The colorful uniforms and fancy drill caught on with many city's militia units. This was particularly true after Col. Elmer Ellsworth took his Chicago Zouave Cadets on a tour of North America, challenging militia units to drill competition. The zouave uniform gradually disappeared toward the end of the war as the army did not want to replace them. This site also states that some units were given Zouave uniforms as a reward for bravery.

http://philazou.home.mindspring.com/page7.html

I hope this answers your questions about the Zouaves or gives you additional websites to read about them.

Jim

Sherri:

Think I finally found Julia Potvin's death record. Or at least, I THINK this is her:

Ontario, Canada, Catholic Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1747-1967

Name: Julia Potvin
Event Year: 1915-1942
Event: Enterrement (Burial)
Religion: Catholique
Place of Worship or Institution: South Gloucester
Province: Ontario

"On this 28th day of March [1937] one thousand nine-hundred and thirty-seven, we the undersigned have chanted the Funeral Service over the body of MRS. JULIA POTVIN, aged eighty-nine years, who died last Friday, having been fortified by the Sacrament of Extreme Unction.
>signed< Geo. D. Prudhomme"

Maddie from chat