This is a photograph of Colonel Elmer Ellsworth's Fire Zouaves, who were a NY City fire department, and also a combat unit in the Civil War. The unit was the 11th New York Volunteers My great great grandfather, George Webb Dodge was the unit's chaplain, and he also served as the unit's medical officer (I do not know if he is in this photograph). He was considered as a "fighting chaplain" as he carried not only a Bible, but also a weapon.

The unit was dispatched, by sea, abord the steamship "Baltic", to Washington DC in the early days of the civil war.

(The purpose of Company A's squad excursion was to take over the local telegraph office, so this story does have some insulator-connected context) .

I have in my possesion a short biography of George Webb Dodge (by my great-aunt Ruth Brown) and a collection of typed copies of letters that he wrote home during the Civil War. I am currently in process of transcribing all of this to Microsoft Word, and then to butrn it on CDs for family distribution.

I'll copy in this text from the website The four photos are also "borrowed" from this website.

http://www.myrtle-avenue.com/firezou/

On May 7th, the 11th New York was mustered in to Federal service, to serve "for the war," rather than for 90 days, as many other volunteer regiments. On the evening of May 23rd, in their camp at Giesboro Point, Ellsworth announced that a movement against Alexandria, Virginia was to be made, and that he wished the Fire Zouaves to be at the lead of this expedition. Though the possibility of a skirmish loomed, Ellsworth admonished his troops to conduct themselves as gentlemen, and to not fire a shot without orders. The Colonel was clad in a gray double-breasted frock coat, upon which he pinned a memento of his 1860 national tour, an emblem of the Baltimore City Guard, which proclaimed "Non Solum Nobis, Sed Pro Patria" (Not for ourselves alone, but for the country). Ellsworth also pinned on the badge presented him by New York's Columbian Engine 14, of which he was an honorary member. "It is in this suit that I shall die," said Ellsworth prophetically.

Alexandria was under a flag of truce, and the Zouaves did not expect much trouble when they arrived at the foot of Cameron Street. Small groups of Confederates were seen fleeing into and beyond the city. Company E, under Captain Leverich, was assigned to secure the railroad depot, where they located a body of enemy cavalry and were nearly fired upon by a friendly battery whose commander did not recognize them as friends. The Company proceeded to make camp at the depot, posting guards in the vicinity, but looking forward to a period of relaxation.

Meanwhile, Ellsworth selected the rightmost squad of Company A to accompany him, along with two newspaper correspondents and regimental Chaplain George W. Dodge, on a foray into the city. Turning on to King Street, the group stopped across from the Marshall House hotel, atop which flew a huge rebel flag that was visible through a spyglass from the Executive Mansion, eight miles distant. The Sergeant ran for Captain Coyle to send the rest of Company A along at the double-quick, while Ellsworth, not so much in a fit of patriotic passion as much as the desire to keep his men from rioting if they were to see it, said "that flag must come down."

Entering the hotel, he encountered the proprietor James Jackson, who claimed to be merely a guest of the establishment. Ellsworth started up the stairs followed by the escort. The size of the flag made lowering it and taking it away a difficult task. Handing his revolver off to one of the newspaper correspondents and taking a knife, Ellsworth climbed a ladder to the roof, cut the halyards, and brought the flag down. As he started rolling the giant flag up, Ellsworth started back down the stairs, preceded by Private Francis E. Brownell. As the party rounded the corner between the third and second floors, Jackson appeared on the second floor landing, aiming a double-barreled shotgun. What happened next has long been the source of debate, however it seems that Brownell parried Jackson's shotgun, briefly pinning it up against the railing before Brownell lost his footing and Jackson raised his weapon, emptying his first barrel into Ellsworth's chest. Brownell regained his feet, and fired a shot through Jackson's face. The second barrel discharged as Jackson began to fall. Brownell plunged his saber bayonet through Jackson, whose body tumbled down the stairs.

As Ellsworth's body was placed on a bed, Lt. Colonel Farnham, Major Cregier, and Surgeon Charles Gray were immediately (and discreetly) sent for. Surgeon Gray confirmed that Ellsworth was dead, the shotgun slugs having entered between the third and fourth ribs and piercing the heart. The Baltimore City Guard badge had been driven into his chest. Meanwhile, the rest of the regiment remained in the dark as to the fate of their beloved Colonel. Surgeon Gray, assisted by Hospital Steward Henry Perrin, placed the body in a blanket as Company A secured the house. Two hours later, a tugboat arrived to take the Colonel's remains back to Washington, accompanied by Captain Coyle and a detail from his company. Meanwhile, Lt. Colonel Farnham gathered the regimental field officers together in the Marshall House to confer about the next course of action.

Finally, word spread to the regiment that Ellsworth was dead. "You could have heard a pin drop," said Wilbur Apgar of Company D, "many a manly tear was shed...never have I seen an officer loved as well as him." The bloodstained flag that Ellsworth died capturing was displayed on the ground in the Zouaves' camp for all to see. The news of Ellsworth's death swept the nation. "Avenge Ellsworth!" became the north's rallying cry. His body lay in state in the White House before it was brought back home to rest in Mechanicsville, New York. He was the first Union officer to lose his life in the Civil War. Private Brownell would receive a Lieutenant's commission, and spend the rest of the war in an administrative capacity. His killing of Jackson was the first act in the Civil War to earn the Medal of Honor.