[1] It was raised under special authority of the War Department in New York City by Col. John Lafayette Riker in May and June 1861, in response to President Abraham Lincoln's call for 75,000 volunteers to suppress the insurrection in the rebellious Southern states of the United States of America.

The regiment was named in honor of, and raised under the auspices of, Major Robert Anderson, "the hero of Fort Sumter".

On August 23, the Anderson Zouaves marched through Washington and on to Meridian Hill where they were reviewed the next day by William H. Seward.

After two weeks in this location, October 9, 1861, the Anderson Zouaves along with the rest of Peck's brigade was moved to Tennallytown where it replaced McCall's Division of the Pennsylvania Reserves, which had crossed the Chain Bridge into Virginia the day previous.

On October 1, 1861, while at Camp Tennally, the regiment's Lieutenant Colonel, William S. Tisdale, was discharged due to disability and was replaced by David J. Nevin, the captain of company "D".

Three members of the regiment were awarded the Medal of Honor: Edward Brown, Jr., James R. Evans and Charles.