The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-07-19
HOW BRAVE ELLSWORTH DIED.
The Tragic story Retold BY Resident
of Alexandria,

ment of excitement. The place was held by
few companies of Confederate soldiers who
haunted the stars and bars literally within
sight of the Capitol and under the guns of
the federal steamer Pawnee, which was an
chored of the city at the time.
One beautiful Saturday afternoon, a few
weeks before the lamentabe tragedy, which
concentrated the attention OF the country on
Alexandra, James jackson, who was the
lessee of the Marshall House, a sort of tavern,
more than hotel, situated on the southeast
corner OF King and Pitt streets, flung to the
breeze from the roof of that building large
sized Confederate flag, with the defiant asser-
tion thst the man who lowered it would do so
over his dead body. The occasion was one of
some rejoicing and enthusiasm among those
who had cast their fortunes with the Confed-
eracy, or who sympathized with the disunion
movement, and one of grief to numbers of
others, who sighed when they realized that
the Stars and Stripes had given way to this
piece of bunting The sequel proved, how
ever, that IL was but temporary change, for
in week or two the flag of our fathers had
taken its place in Alexandria.
A few days before the capture of Alexan
dria President Lincoln and his Cabinet, from
some elevated spot in Washington, with field
glasses viewed the Objectionable flag, and in
The course of the conversation that follow ed
Mr.. Lincoln remarked that the ensign of trea-
son would not remain there long; nor did it,
as on the night of Thursday, May %, 1861, a
silent move was made on this defiant city,
which resulted in its capture and the stam-
pede of its Confederate garrison to Manassas
Junction, on the Orange and Alexandria (now
Virginia Midland) Railroad, about twenty
seven miles distant.
The plans of the Federal troops, through
some miscarriage, proved Intellectual so far
as capturing the rebel soldiers was concerned,
and only small company was netted. The
Federal troops were sent in three directions
when the move on the city was made-some
by way of Chain bridge above Georgetown,
others via the Long bridge where trains now
pass from Washington into Virginia and the
remainder by water. The Confederate pickets
around the wharves and on the outskirts of
the city gave the alarm in time to allow
safe retreat and when Uncle Sams
soldiers entered the city those of the Con-
federacy were we'll on their way South.
The New York Fire Zouaves were among
those who reached Alexandria by water No
doubt their young. and patriotic, though i'll
starred colonel had viewed the obnoxious flag
from distance as we'll as Mr.. Lincoln and had
longed for the opportunity of lowering it.
The Marshall House is situated five blocks in
westerly direction from the wharf where the
Zouaves landed. 1t was very early in the
morning when Colonel Ellsworth, with small
squad OF his men, proceeded up the streets of
Alexandra, little dreaming that in less than
half an hours time his lifeless body was to be
borne over the same street to the boat from
which he had just landed. King street, the
principal throughfare, up which he wended his
way, was comparatively deserted. But few
people were moving, the bulk of the city's in
habitants being asleep. The inmates of the
Marshall House were still in The arms of
Morpheus, oblivious to the fact that the rebels
had vanished before the defenders of the
Union, while the flag of the Confederancy was
hanging limp in the absence of any breeze.
The ill-fated Colonel Ellsworth soon reached
the fatal tavern and with his half dozen fol-
lowers obtained an entrance. Meeting with no
one, and not dreaming for il moment they
would encounter anyresistance in the face of
the fact that the city had been captured, the
Colonel proceeded Immediately to the roof for
the purpose OF taking possession of the coveted
flag.
After passing through the front door a stair
case was encountered which ran spirally, the
first turn leading to the second floor the
Third 10 the next floor, and the fourth to the
garret and roof. The Colonel and his men,
before they reached the roof, met man in
his night clothes coming out of one of the
rooms, of whom they inquired for the pro-
prietor. The man replied that he was a
boarder himself and knew nothing of the
Whereabouts OF the proprietor. 1t has since
been suggested that the unknown individual
was Jackson himself. It took the zouayes
tach 1t from the pole which protruded from
the trap door, and Colonel Ellsworth having
taken II in charge began his descent About
half way down the flight Of stairs leading
from the garrett he saw jackson, but partially
dressed, emerge from one of the rooms on the
landing armed with double-barreled gun.
Ellsworth, little dreaming of the bellicose
nature Of the man with whom he had to deal,
pleasantly remarked to him, s'I've gotten
prize" jackson made some defiant retort,
and, before any one could divine his inten-
tion, raised his gun and discharged it at the
Colonel. An extraordinary charge of buck
shot haG been placed in the weapon, and
hole was torn in the unfortunate Ellsworths
breast large enough in which to place ones
dst. Colonel Ellsworth, it is said by some,
1ell without groan, though others have
asserted that he gave vent TO an audible sigh
In his descent he fell on his face on the land
ing, and while his life's blood was flowing his
followers were aVenging his death. The
weapon jackson used was an ordinary double
oarreled shotgun, and after killing ELS
worth he took aim at those who were with
MN, but before he could pull trigger the sec
'ond time the gun was knocked upward by the
zouaYGs and the charge entered a door frame
Francis u. Brownell, one OF the SQUAD then
sent ball crashing into Jackson's head, and
as he fell sWord-bayonets were thrust through
Alm. Jackson's body was forced down the
hight OF stairs leading to the second floor and
fell on the landing. The body of Ellsworth
was subsequently raised by those who had
accompanied him into the fatal building,
covered with an American flag, and silently
and sorrowfully borne to the boat from which
he had short time before landed.
Considering the terrible tragedy which had
been enacted, the day proved a remarkably
quiet one. Jackson's body was soon picked
up by his friends, washed, and placed in
coffin, and it lay in state throughout that day