The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-22
ELLSWORTH'S SWORD.
"Reminiscences of the Early Days of the
Late War.

| Late War.
| New York Commercial Advertiser,
The sword which was worn by Ellsworth at
the time ne was shot, is not in the possession of
| the State and consequently cannot be in the
cabinet containing the relics of the brave young
soldier at Albany. 1t is now owned by Mr..
| Henry j. Winser, or this city, an intimate friend
| of the Colonel, who was with him on the day of
| his death. He was also a witness of the last
| scene when Ellsworth. after having cut down
| the confederate flag was murdered by James L.
| jackson, the proprietor of the Marshall House.
| alexandria, where the tragedy occurred. After
| Ellsworth had organized his regiment of fire
| ladies in this city, he went to Washington.
| where his command was quartered IN the Capltol
| building. Considerable time passed in Wash
| lngton, and Ellsworth succeeded in training
| his men to superior degree of efficiency. 1t
was while there that Mr. Wnser was made the
Colonels military secretary, with the rank OF
| first lieutenant. 1t May %, 1861, that
| the Fire Zouaves left Washington by steamer
| for Alexandria, On the following day at about
| sunrise, the steamers drew up in front of the
| city Confederate sentinels noticing the troops,
| fired their muskets in the air and scampered
| into the town. AS they were disappearing some
| Of the Zouaves fired after them, against the in
| structions Of their officers.
Ellsworth was first to land, and then Company
r, Captain Leveridge, formed upon the wharf
Without waiting for the rest of the regiment to
dlsembark the Colonel shouted to Mr.. Winser
Come with me to the telegraph station. 1t is
important to cut the wires Mr.. E. H. House
and the Reverend E. W. Dodge who
were standing near, inquired if they
might also accompany Ellsworth. He sig
niied his consent A sergeant and four
men OF Company A. were also in the party.
Ellsworth and his companions ran up the street
about two blocks in the supposed direction of the
telegraph Office. AT this moment he saw large
confederate flag which had just been raised
above the roof of a building apparently two or
three blocks distant, to the left He at once
said: Boys must have that flag" He told
the sergeant to return and direct Captain Coyle
to follow with his entire company.
The building over which the flag was flying
was the Marshall House, a second class hotel.
AS the party rushed through the doorway Els
worth called out to man who was entering the
hallway from the opposite side What flag is
that over the roofW The answer was: II don't
know anything about it, [ am only boarGer
here" Without further parley, the Colonel ranup
the winding stairs to the topmost story, the 9th
ers of the party following. 1t did not take long
to find the attic room whence opened skylght,
with the flagstaff within easy reach. A ladder
stood against the frame of the skylght, which
Ellsworth at once climbed The halyards had
been fastened SO tightly that he unable to
undo the knot. Seeing this. Mr. Winser ran up
few steps of the ladder and handed the Colonel
a bowie knife, asking him to cut the rope. This
he did, and the large flag was soon lying at their
feet MIR. Wlnser passed it down to the men
below. The entire occurrence could not have
consumed more than two minutes. Mr. Winser
was pusy ro4ling the long nag over MS arm,
when Ellsworth turned toward the stairway
holding one end Of the flag in his grasp He
was preceded by private Francis f. Brownell Of
Company A. Mr.. House, the Reverend Mr..
Dodge and Mr.. Winser were in the rear There
were two men in bed in the attic room who
appeared somewhat bewildered, but had nothing
to do with the tragedy which soon followed
Suddenly Mr. Winser heard the clash of
weapons, and at the moment the report of
two guns with so imperceptible an interval
he hat hoy oh bav tax
for one discharge. He saw Ellsworth fall
forward at the foot of the frs6 flight of stairs,
and Browne standing on the landing. near the
turn of the second flight, make thrust with
his bayonet at the totterlng form of a man. who
fell headlong down half of the second flight of
steps. 1t seems that as Brownell reached the
landing place, after the descent of dozen steps,
a man rushed from an adjoningr room, and with
out noticing him leveled double barreled gun
at Ellsworths breast Brownell made a
quick pass to turn the gun aside, but was not
successful, and the contents of both barrels en-
tered the ColOnels heart, killing him instantly
The murderers fingers had scarce pressed the
trigger of his gun before Brownells rife
discharged full in his face, and as he staggered,
the shot was followed by a sabre thrust of such
force that it sent the man backward down the
upper section Of the second flight of stairs. This
man proved to be James T. Jackson proprietor
of the Marshall House, the person who had first
met the party and said he was a boarder. The
Colonels body was covered;with the confederate
flag which had cost him SO dear, and upon a
litter of muskets was carried back to the steam
boat and placed in charge of Lieutenant colonel
Farnsworth, who succeeded to the command of the
regiment It was thence taken to the Washing
ton Navy yard where it lay in state in the engine
house. and visited by thousands of persons,
among whom were President Lncoln's family
On the 25th the body removed to the East
Room of the White House The funeral Was a
public one. Mr.. Winser was with the guard of
honor which accompanied the body to the grave
at Mechanicsvlle, n. Y, and Ellsworth's sword
was given to him by the gallant lieutenant, Ben
Ja1nin F. Denton Ellsworth's uncle the ma
ternal side who represented the Ellsworth fami-
ly. The sword is still in Mr.. Winsers posses
sion. Lieutenant Denton killed at Fort
Hudson while leading charge of his company.