Elmer Ephraim Ellsworth Papers, 1854-1861

John Hay Library , Special Collections
Box A
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Tel: 401-863-2146
email: hay@brown.edu

Published in 2013

Collection Overview

Title:	Elmer Ephraim Ellsworth Papers
Date range:	1854-1861
Creator:	Ellsworth, E. E. (Elmer Ephraim), 1837-1861
Extent:	1.0 linear foot
Abstract:	The Elmer Ephraim Ellsworth Papers, covering the period 1854-1861, consist of correspondence, a journal fragment, drafts of his writings, and sketches concerning Ellsworth's involvement with the Illinois Militia, the United States Zouave Cadets, and the New York Fire Zouaves, along with memorabilia about Ellsworth and his military career that was produced some time after his death.
Language of materials:	English
Repository:	John Hay Library , Special Collections
Collection number:	Ms.Ellsworth

Scope & content

The Ellsworth Papers consist of approximately 225 items covering the period 1854-1861. The collection consists primarily of correspondence, but includes some official state documents from Illinois and Wisconsin, a fragment of Ellsworth's journal from 1855, and drafts of various other writings, along with a small selection of memorial objects.

The papers came to Brown from the family of John Hay, and form part of the John Hay Collection. After Ellsworth was killed in May 1861, his grieving parents received many offers to write his biography. However, it was only John Hay's letter that moved Ellsworth's parents to pursue the project. Hay, working with a committee of Ellsworth's friends, collected materials to be used in the biography, which he published in the Atlantic Magazine later that same year. (See John Hay, Ellsworth, Atlantic Monthly VIII (1861), pp. 119- 25).

Hay met Ellsworth when both men were in Washington as part of Lincoln's staff. Hay's memorial to Ellsworth thus reflects the personal knowledge of a friend and compatriot. Ellsworth, like Hay himself, was a close associate of Lincoln, and in that regard the collection is also substantially related to the McLellan Lincoln Collection at the Brown University Library.

Access Points

Subject Names

• Ellsworth, E. E. (Elmer Ephraim), 1837-1861
• Hay, John, 1838-1905
• Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1965

Subject Organizations

• Illinois. Infantry. United States Zouave Cadets (1859-1860)
• United States. Army. Illinois Light Artillery Regiment, 1st (1861-1865)
• United States. Army. New York Infantry Regiment, 11th (1861-1862)

Geographical Names

• United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865

Occupations

• Soldiers

Document Types

• Diaries
• documents
• Ephemera
• Letters (Correspondence)
• Patents
• sketches

Subject Topics

• Military

Arrangement

The collection is divided into five series:

• Series 1. Correspondence
• Series 2. Documents
• Series 3. Miscellaneous manuscripts
• Series 4. Printed items and prints
• Series 5. Sketches

Series 1 (Correspondence) is ordered alphabetically by author of the letter, then chronologically. Series 2 (Documents) is ordered chronologically. Series 3 (Miscellaneous manuscripts) is ordered alphabetically by item type. Series 4 (Printed items and prints) is ordered alphabetically by author.

Biographical/Historical note

Elmer Ephraim Ellsworth was born in Malta, New York, in 1837, and grew up in nearby Mechanicsville, in a poor and struggling family which depended on his labor. Although he longed to be a soldier and aspired to attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, his family's economic situation forced Ellsworth to leave home at age 17 to seek his fortune. Settling in Chicago, Ellsworth was to hold various jobs as a clerk and later as a patent solicitor in Chicago. He simultaneously became commander of a volunteer militia in Illinois. Following an encounter with a French military officer in 1857, he introduced the French Zouave drill method and became its principal promoter in the United States. Ellsworth's U.S. Zouave Cadets, in colorful uniforms that Ellsworth himself designed, enjoyed some popularity with the public, which led in turn to an eastern tour and a performance for President Buchanan at the White House in 1860.

At some point, Ellsworth was advised by his prospective father in law to seek a career in the law. He subsequently found a position as clerk in Abraham Lincoln's law office. Although his ambitions in the law did not last long, he and Lincoln became fast friends. When Lincoln ran for president, Ellsworth was among his staunch supporters. After the firing on Fort Sumter and the attack on the 6th Massachusetts Regiment in Baltimore in April 1861, Ellsworth made a tour of New York City firehouses, seeking volunteers to form a regiment of Zouaves. The First New York Fire Zouaves (officially known as the 11th New York Infantry, and informally as "Ellsworth's Zouaves") were mustered within ten days and quickly shipped out to Washington to join the Union forces. With his unit assigned to assist in the capture of Northern Virginia, Ellsworth led the assault on Alexandria and was shot by a local innkeeper after removing a Confederate flag from the roof of the inn. He was the first Union hero of the war, and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. He thus came to occupy a prominent place in Civil War iconography. Numerous poems, pieces of sheet music, and other memorials were composed in his honor, and an entire generation of baby boys, born in the Union states, were named for him.

Bibliography:

Comings, H. H. Personal reminiscences of Co. E, N.Y. Fire Zouaves, better known as Ellsworth's Fire Zouaves. Malden, Massachusetts: J. Gould Tilden, 1886.

Hay, John. A young hero, personal reminiscences of Colonel E.E. Ellsworth. McClure's magazine VI (1895/96) 354-61.

Hay, John. Ellsworth. Atlantic monthly VIII (1861) 119-25. Reprinted for Chicago Historical Society by University of Chicago press, 1925.

Access & Use

Access to the collection:	There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Use of the materials:	Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. Researchers should note that compliance with copyright law is their responsibility. Researchers must determine the owners of the literary rights and obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Preferred citation:	Elmer Ephraim Ellsworth Papers, Ms. Ellsworth, Brown University Library.
Contact information:	John Hay Library , Special Collections Box A Brown University Providence, RI 02912 Tel: 401-863-2146 email: hay@brown.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION
Acquisition:	The Ellsworth Papers were the gift of Alice Hay (Mrs. James) Wadsworth in 1954. Additional materials were received from Ambassador John Hay Whitney in 1958.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID
Encoding:	This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2013-02-20

Additional Information

Related material:

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum catalog has 22 entries for Ellsworth materials (letters, sheet music, papers, and publications), 4 of which are listed below: Abraham Lincoln Presidental Library & Museum catalog Ellsworth, E. E. (Elmer Ephraim). Papers, 1855-1861. [97 items] Ingraham, Charles Anson. Colonel Elmer E. Ellsworth, first hero of the civil war. Robinson, Luther Emerson. Ephraim Elmer Ellsworth; first martyr of the Civil War (Springfield, Ill., Philips Bros., Print., 1924). The Lincoln Institute has prepared an illustrated biography of Ellsworth presented at the following site: Mr. Lincoln and Friends (organization). Mathew Brady's National Portrait Gallery, part of the National Portrait Gallery's website, includes a portrait of E.E. Ellsworth: Brady's portrait of E.E. Ellsworth. The Smithsonian Institutes's Civil War website features several pages on Ellsworth: CivilWar@Smithsonian / First blood collection / Ellsworth. "Mr. Lincoln's White House," a Gilder-Lehrman Foundation project, has a page on Ellsworth: Mr. Lincoln's White House / Elmer Ellsworth (1837-1861). The Chicago Historical Society hosts an online project "Wet with blood" on Lincoln's assassination and the memory of the Civil War and its relics (including those related to Ellsworth held at the Libby Prison War Museum): Libby Prison War Museum / Ellsworth. New York State Library has materials on Ellsworth and his NY Fire Zouaves in their collection of broadsides. See subject and title indices at: NYSL Broadside ballads collection subject index and NYSL Broadside ballads collection title index. The Ellsworth Papers form part of Brown University's John Hay Collection and are related to the McClellan Lincoln Collection at Brown as well. Many additional related items are held at the John Hay Library and the Rockefeller Library including: Ellsworth, E. E. Manual of arms for light infantry, adapted to the rifled musket, with or without the priming attachment. Chicago: P.T. Sherlock, 1861. (Call number: UD320 E5 1861 Hay Military) Ellsworth, E. E. Ellsworth's last letter. Boston: Prentiss & Deland, ca. 1861 (Call number: B1529 MA Hay Broadsides) Zouave drill book, as used by Col. Ellsworth's Zouaves. Philadelphia: King & Baird, 1861 (Call number: UD320 E54 1861 Hay Star) The Anne S.K. Brown Military Collection at the Hay Library has several pieces of sheet music related to Ellsworth's death in battle: Baumbach, Adolph. Ellsworth Zouaves' and National Lancers' greeting grand march (Chicago: Root & Cady, 1860) Beckel, J. C. Col. Ellsworth's funeral march (Boston: Oliver Ditson & Co., 1861) Jacobsen, Otto F. and L. Both Hendriksen. Our laddie's dead Jem (New York: William Hall & Son, 1861) Tobey, A. Birt. Sadly the bells toll the death of the hero. (Chicago: A. Judson Higgins, 1861) Warren, George. A requiem in memory of Ellsworth. (New York: Firth, Pond & Co., 1861) Webster, J. P. Brave men behold your fallen chief. (Chicago: H. M. Higgins, 1861) Webster, J. P. Brave men behold your fallen chief. (Chicago: H. M. Higgins, 1862) Winner, Sep. Col. Ellsworth's funeral march (Philadelphia: Lee & Walker, 1861) Related portraits and scenes in the Anne S.K. Brown Military Collection include: Colonel Ellsworth of the Fire Zouaves (wood-engraving from Harper's Weekly, May 11, 1861) E.E. Ellsworth, late Col. of the New York Fire Zouaves (lithograph after J.E. Baker, 1861) E.E. Ellsworth, Late Col. of the New York Fire Zouaves (color lithograph by Prang after D.C. Fabronius; Boston, Prang, 1861) Col. Elmer E. Ellsworth (of the New-York Zouaves) (color lithograph by F.P. Whiting; New York, Whiting, Phelps & Watson, etc., 1861) Death of Colonel Ellsworth after hauling down the rebel flag, at the taking of Alexandria, VA, May 24th, 1861 (color lithograph, Currier & Ives, 1861)

Other information:

Brown University Library catalog record for this collection: Elmer Ephraim Ellsworth Papers

Inventory

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