Historical Photo Answer: Colonel Elmer Ephraim Ellsworth
Weekly photo posting honors Lake Forest's sesquicentennial.
Before 9 a.m. Sunday, there were already guesses posted on the site.I'm liking this.Both Alice Moulton-Ely and Gail Hodges correctly guessed Colonel Elmer Ephraim Ellsworth. Gail even added information from a Lake Forest history book. Thanks, Gail, for providing the info to Madeleine's question.According to Laurie Stein at the Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Historical Society, Colonel Ellsworth (1837-1861), a friend of Abraham Lincoln who was the first Union officer to die in the Civil War, when his regiment attempted to take control of Alexandria directly following the secession of Virginia. Ellsworth spent time in Lake Forest in 1860 drilling the Academy students in marching and the handling of rifles.Thanks again for your participation and feedback. We'll have a new photo posted next Sunday (Nov. 28) and reveal the answer on Monday.Happy Thanksgiving!
About this column: A weekly column devoted to celebrating Lake Forest's 150th anniversary in 2011.
Related Topics:
150th anniversary and Sesquicentennial
Take a guess in the comments section.
Tell us in the comments.
Alice Moulton-Ely
7:34 am on Sunday, November 21, 2010
Elmer Ellsworth?
Gail Hodges
9:36 am on Sunday, November 21, 2010
Colonel Elmer Ephraim Ellsworth
Madeleine Slingerland
11:56 am on Sunday, November 21, 2010
Hmmm - who's Elmer Ellsworth, and why do people know him? I was thinking more along the lines of Joe Caxsey - but maybe it was Elmer.
Gail Hodges
12:26 pm on Sunday, November 21, 2010
According to Edward Arpee's "Lake Forest, Illinois: History and Reminiscenses 1861-1961," 1991 Edition with Supplement by Susan Dart, pages 48-49: Ellsworth came to LF Academy in 1860 and put the students through rifle drills on weekends. He was "famous throughout the country as the organizer of military companies called the Zouaves...." Ellsworth studied law in Lincoln's law office. According to Arpee, "Ellsworth was in charge of the train which carried Lincoln as President-elect to Washington." Called to Washington by Lincoln when the Civil War was imminent, "Ellosworth was the first officer to give his life for his country in the Civil War."
Madeleine Slingerland
9:06 pm on Sunday, November 21, 2010
Gail - you are a history buff, me thinks. Instead of being called Zouaves - I wish they had been called Caxys. I'm from New Trier where it took years to figure out what a Trevian was.