The New International Encyclopædia/Ellsworth, Ephraim Elmer

ELLSWORTH, Ephraim Elmer (1837-61). An American soldier. He was born in Mechanicsville, N. Y., but early removed to Chicago. In April, 1861, he organized a Zouave regiment from among the volunteer firemen of New York, and became its colonel. He took part in the first general movement of the Federal forces into Virginia, but at Alexandria, on May 24th, was shot dead by a hotel-keeper from whose building he had just torn away a Confederate flag. In the North he was regarded as the first ‘martyr’ to the cause of the Union. He was buried, with imposing military ceremonies, from the White House, in Washington.