Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-05
THE FIRST MAN SLAIN.
Lieut.. Brownell Talks of the One
Whose Death He Avenged.
ELLSWORTH'S HIGH MISSION.
Agony which He Endured on Account OF HIS
Poyerty-His Struggles to Get a Firm Foot
ing-His Preparation for the War He Knew
Must Come.

EhANh BlaO" -Nl-iALf VIM -
IL the boyish age of twenty summers, be-
came hero in this republic by drawing
the first blood of the rebellion as the
avenger of Col. Ellsworth. is today
man of mature wears. Thoughtful, dignitied.
learned and III every sense Christian gentle
man Of superior at.ainments. He is hero
worshiper Of tine most devout and earnest type.
and his hero Is the loved and lost boy soldier
whose life nc yainly tried 20 save, but whose
slayer he so quickly ushercd into the great I'M
known realm Of eternity. Speaking Of his be-
loved chief Brownell said TO STAB reporter:
Il sometimes wonder why the city Of Chicago
has neglected to honor her first soldiers, and
Yet l realize that great events followed
so fast upon each other during our civil
war that il ought not to he sub
. iect OF wonderment that the frst men
AMI the first deeds are not today fresh in the
minds OF the people. / want to live long
enough to see 4 monument erected in Chicago
or in the national capital by tire citizens Of
Chicago in honor of the memory of the Chi
csgo Zouaves.' tina: celebrated company OF
Young men wno. under the command OF Capt.
Ellsworth. made the name OF the city By the
lake famous before she attained fame and great
ness the commercial metropolis of the en-
pire of the west; a company which furnished
the inspiration and tactics for the thousands of
organizations which marched during the polit-
ical campaign OF 1850 for the two great con-
tending parties, calling themselves Little
Giants and 'Wideawakes;' a company which
afterwsrd furnished skilIfUl officers for MANY
regiments in the civil war.
Il understand" continued Mr.. Brovnell
chow little time can be given IL this busy
world FOR the study Of the characters OF those
who have passed away from u.s. AMI am there
fore. not surprised that so little is known to the
present generation concerning the life and
character OF Col Ellsworth: but II has been nv
pleasure to read everything available concern
ing him and to study almost with reverence the
few leaves of the diary which he left as a pre-
eious memento to his bereayed parents and low
ing friends.
HI BELIEVED He HAD A MISSION.
Upon his youthful mind there was the i'm
press of mission for which he had been called
into being. tie foresaw as by inspiration the
civil war, and he. more than any military man
OF that day. prepared himself and ali with
whom he came into contact for the tremendous
crisis into which the nation rushing with
cyelonic speed and force He was born in
Saratoga county. New York. and his first breath
was OF the air of freedom which swept over the
plains where the army o; Burgovne surrendered
TO the revolutionary army under Gates His
grandfather vas a soldier and his mother
transmitted 20 him the genius of the
revolution, spirit OF patriotism and herosm
The ambition of his bOvhOod was to obtain
military education at West Point: but with
out influential friend. that boon was denied
him. Nevertheless. although poor. often hun
cry and ill-clad. he mastered the rudimcnts of
military science, perfected himself in drill and
lmbued Others with his spirit
Having been excluded from the Chicago Ca
diets because of his rigid discipline he went To
EIgln, organized and drilled company chal-
lenged the Chicago Cadets and easily vanauished
them He was thereupOn urged 10 return and
assume command of the Cadets which he did
upon the adoption of rules and bylaws drawn
up by himself They were: Abstinence from
entering drinking saloons houses OF ilI-fame
gambling hells and all disreputable places un-
der penalty OF expulsion from the corps pubIi-
cation In the city papers and forfeiture OF uni
form and equipments
He FOREsAw THE WAR
'with Ellsworth life was real and earnes.
and he determined to organize, equip and drill
a company which would be an animated mill
tary machine to. become the nucleus OF the
grand army which his prophetic soul plainly
foresaw as the result o. current events. His
discipline was very severe and none but the
best and ablest men could long remain In the
company. he drilled them for a year. and
then-history tells the rest. They travelled all
over the United States, drilling in connection
with the best militia organizations OF every
city. ana not only yanquishing them but teach
ing them lessons which could not be forgotten
and which were far-reaching and timely in
their effects His greatness will be bet
u.
from his diary, that during those
Important days OF self-abEegatiOn personal
self-sacritce and rigid discipline. enforced upon
himself as well as upon his company Elmer
ELLSWORTH was SO pOcr that he lived great
deal OF the time upon crackers and water. Here
Ii an extract from his diary of Thursday ApriI
II, 1859: Bought desk toGay al auction worth
Si9 Tor Sli. and can now indulge NV ideas OF
ORDER In arrangement of my papers Paid IS
of my own money and borrowed SlO of James
NlNDOrle. when
Clyborne anu two fr.ends compelled me to step
back with them into a restaurant which hal
Just left They ordered oyster stews, but de-
e.ined, for 1 always make il a matter o;
principle never TO accent a courtesy which
4 cannot return The waiter brought
stewS Tor the entire party. supposing that was
In II, and sat down to escape making mys.lf
more conspicuous had been IN the restlIi-
rant on business, but had eater. nothing How
gIoriou'!y every morsel tasted--the first food
had tasted III three DAYS and nights When 1
came back To Chicago a year ago with money in
my pocket, paid Clyb1rne 80 cents. which |
SAID that owed HIM, but which he could not
remember. Well. when / wanted : 10 today he
gave II to me eheerfuily. without security
Have written four hours this evening Two
pounds CRACKERS Sleep on Office floor tonight
Retire II O'Clock
HIS TRIALS AND HARDsIIPs.
rs 1t any wonder that love the memory of
such man: said Mr.. BrownelL He was
sowing the preliminary organization of the
Grand Army of the Republic 10 save the Union
anu at the same time almost starving
?lolike solved the problem of the invasion Of
France, but he dId AZ or full stomach. I.sis
military heTOin America was a moral hero nj
tAe saline time Nobody understood hun and
few appreciated! his merits. but he went forward
unfhHehiuSiy. and with NapoleCaic determine
Ton 10 conquer On Alay he wrote: I an,
getting yerg weak and lOatae the sisht of crack
ers- Al could only have regular meals IoouId
learn twice Is lass and easIiy. IL Is no lipnt
TASK 70 cOuhne your mind 10 study Whcu YOUR
stomach Is absolutely craving ioOl. II l can
get enough ahead ! vii buy some dried meat
Of some kind
Poor boy soldio-." said Brownen. as he
uried his moIst,ncd eyes. God only knows
~iat agony of sOl.l he suffered. In tie Iait!st
% plenty he was almost starving. and vet with
the instinct Of soldier. with a high mission
before him, he never complained. bat appeared
before the world proud. calm. self-cSat.ained
anu masterfG- ES.Oic the war began Els
worth was IT. t-Ce he-o. His tragic death was
put the elimination % the mission unto which
ne Was called by Divine Providence
SENSE OF LONELINESS
July q. lo55--A sense CT my utter loneti-
ness came over me tonight in my room. My
embarrassing position. al. that L have 10 con-
TEND with, swept across NV mind. The moon
shone brightly and the music of n s.r.no,Iip,,