Ellsworth Was The First...
“ELLSWORTH WAS THE FIRST....”
Paul J. Loatman, Jr.-Ph.D.
April 20, 2011
Mechanicville City Historian
Ever since Colonel Elmer E. Ellsworth’s death on May 24, 1861, it has been a commonplace to describe him as “the first Union Officer killed in the Civil War.” But, I have been asked many times, “Was Ellsworth the first Union SOLDIER killed in the Civil War.” Discretion being the better part of valor, I have heretofore hedged my bets by stating, “I think so, but I am not really sure.” However, the recent attention drawn to Ellsworth-and the whole cast of Civil War characters that came after him-along with a closer examination of the evidence now leads to the conclusion that Elmer E. Ellsworth was the FIRST UNION SOLDIER killed in combat during the Civil War.* Stop to think about that fact. From the time of the first recorded war in human history- the Trojan War waged over four thousands years ago- when else have we been able to identify war’s first military fatality? Never, as far as I can tell, and more significantly, public awareness regarding that initial death quickly became a matter of great consequence.
Elmer Ellsworth has been associated with a number of other “firsts,” but such assertions must be accompanied with disclaimers. Was Elmer Ellsworth the first person to be embalmed? Not exactly. We know that embalming in some form or other has been around at least since the time of the mummification of the Pharaohs. However, modern-day embalming dates only to the era of the Civil War and it is no exaggeration to claim that its growing acceptance among the public was in no small way due the death of Elmer E. Ellsworth. The tragic death of someone widely regarded as a romantic young hero who happened to be a close friend of the President and his family aroused as much public attention in its day as the death of President John F. Kennedy did in 1963.
President Abraham Lincoln-“Ellsworth-Poor Ellsworth” he was heard to cry when hearing news of his death-ordered the young officer’s body to lie in state in the East Room of the White House. There, tens of thousands of citizens processed through the mourning line simply to catch a glimpse of the martyr whose corpse evoked the image of a young boy merely at sleep. Rare was the citizen of Washington, D.C., regardless of his or her political sympathies, who failed to turn out to witness the public spectacle of the funeral parade which followed, marked by the soulful appearance of the President and his Cabinet somberly processing behind the funeral caisson. Young Clara Barton was so enthralled by the entire scene that she recorded every detail in her diary. Surely, the trauma of the moment steeled her resolve to later volunteer her services as a nurse to the Union forces, a step ultimately leading to the founding of the Red Cross. Like so many others, she was struck by the stark contrast between the mourning of the multitude and its recollections of the life-like appearance of the corpse that they had viewed only a day or two earlier, making the scene all the more painful to bear.
Up to this time, embalming had been used almost exclusively to preserve cadavers for medical dissection. But, Dr. Thomas Holmes embalmed Ellsworth’s corpse in order to preserve his body for transport home so that his parents could bury him in Mechanicville. Ellsworth family tradition holds that family and friends journeyed on foot for miles to view the life-like corpse whose casket was not closed until just prior to being lowered into the grave. They had no way of knowing, of course, that hundreds of thousands of other young men would meet a similar fate in coming years, dying far from home, family and familiar surroundings. Of course, such tragedies severely challenged society’s time-honored concepts of what constituted a “good death.” Yet, the widespread acceptance of embalming following Ellsworth’s death permitted families to make their final farewells with their “dearly departed” with some semblance of normality. In fact, the practice became so widespread that Dr. Holmes, one of the nation’s first successful embalmers, is reported to have become independently wealthy while performing his handiwork on over four-thousand Union soldiers during the course of the Civil War. Thus, it may not be too much to claim that the example established by our local hero’s death-and burial- eased the terrible burden destined to befall so many families during the awful madness of four years of internecine war that followed .
The question frequently arises: what was the ultimate significance of Ellsworth’s death. Quite simply, Ellsworth became the Union’s first hero. What the Northern public regarded as his “martyrdom” inspired tens of thousands of young men to join the Union armies. Indeed, in a few short months, more than 200,000 men joined the Union ranks, largely in response to Ellsworth’s death. Journeying to Washington following their enlistments prior to being sent off into battle, they felt compelled to make pilgrimages to the scene of the Colonel’s final moments. There, at the Marshall House in Alexandria, Virginia, they hoped to stand on the stairwell where their hero had died, or to simply touch the banister of the stairs where he last stood, or again, to trod on the very rug that retained traces of their hero’s blood. Now, having visited what fast had become an informal shrine, they were steeled to fulfill their commitment to follow in Ellsworth’s footsteps, joining the battle to stamp out secession. Over the next four years, New York would turn out more volunteers to serve in the Union army than any other state. In no small way, the sacrifices made by these men were inspired by the heroics of Lincoln’s young friend, Elmer E. Ellsworth.
Another “first” is attached to Ellsworth’s name. The Medal of Honor, bestowed by the President on behalf of Congress, was created by Congress in 1862 to acknowledge examples of “conspicuous gallantry.” More than 1,500 such medals were awarded during the Civil War, more than half of all such honors ever bestowed. Frank Brownell of Troy, remembered as “Ellsworth’s Avenger,” received his Medal for striking down the Colonel’s assailant on May 24, 1861. Although Brownell did not earn recognition for his feat until 1877, his action marked the earliest date for which the Medal of Honor was ever awarded. In that sense, Ellsworth’s death led to another “first” in our history.
Finally, one small historical footnote might remind us of the power the memory of Ellsworth’s name carried for generations past. Dr. E.E. Brown, President William Howard Taft’s Commissioner of Education was named Chancellor at New York University in 1911. Born in Chautauqua County, New York, on August 28, 1861, Dr. Brown insisted on being addressed by his baptismal names- “Elmer Ellsworth” Brown until his dying day. He was one among many born in that era whose parents felt duty- bound to name their male offspring in honor of that First Union Hero who is buried in nearby Hudson View Cemetery overlooking Mechanicville.
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* Two Union soldiers were killed as the result of an accidental gun explosion during the ceremonies surrounding the surrender of Fort Sumter to South Carolina Confederates on April 14, 1861. Less than a week later, four soldiers from the Massachusetts 6th regiment were killed during a riot in Baltimore. A city whose streets were dominated by competing mobs of thugs harbored large numbers of citizens of all classes who were sympathetic to the Confederacy. Following this tragic event [ironically occurring on April 19, the anniversary of the Battle of Lexington which opened the American Revolution in 1775], President Lincoln ordered that Union troops reporting for service at the nation’s capital should avoid travel through Baltimore. As tragic as these incidents were, neither the soldiers at Fort Sumter nor the Massachusetts volunteers killed in Baltimore were engaged in military combat. Ellsworth died while leading a military operation to drive Confederate forces who posed a direct threat to Washington, D.C. out of Alexandria, Virginia.