New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-22
ELLSWORTH'S ZOUAVES.
Early Days of War Recalled-Df-
fered from Home Guards.

1-,,,,rtb,s zo,,aves were recalled few days
ago 20 the minds OF all who remember the mel
dents of the early days Of the civil War. wnen IL
was announced in a Washington dispatch that the
war Y1snartnoent had received from William Clau-
sen ~ Nsv-York the old flag OF the lst New
York Fire Zouaves the regiment raised and eonl-
manded by Colonel Ephraim Elmer ElsWHrth at
the beginning OF the war. 1t was the same nag
that Ellsworth hoisted on the staff or the Mansion
House at Alexandria Va, May a. 1851 after he
had torn down the rebel flag, which incident cost
Colonel Ellsworth his life. Mr. Clsusen came into
possession OF the flag a gift from Andrew GoVan.
who was duartermaster Of Ellsworth Post. G. A
r. and he asserts he has documents to prove that
IT is the flag represented The gift 70 the War
Department was made condition that the flag
should be added to the war collection In Cullum
Memorial Hall. at West Point.
The original Ellsworth's Zouaves were a COM
pany OF military under E. T. Ellsworth. who
were drilled In acrobatic feats. and who distin-
guished themselves all the way from Chicago to
washington in 1850 by turning double sOmersaults
and doing other stunts with musksts In their
hands and bayonets in their mouths When the
Civil War broke out Ellsworth and his company
offered their services. whereupon Ellsworth
commissioned a colonel and authorized to raise
regiment which he did In April. 1851. By recruiting
from the fre-nen OF this city. They at once pro
ceeded to Washington. and had been there about
twenty days only when they received marching
orders.
Resistance to any invasion Of the sacred soil'
u
afternoon OF May q the Zouave regiment landed on
the Virginia side OF the Potomac. and h.,e later
Ellsworth detailed a small squad OF men from his
command. and. with Sergeant BroWneH at the head
and accompanied by a correspondent Of The Tribune
and Cha plain Dodge they marched rapidly up one
OF the quiet streets OF Alexandria. and when about
turning corner in the direction Of a telegraph Of
fee Ellsworth Haunting from the top OF the
Marshall House a rebel flag. which had often been
observed from the balconies OF the Presidents house
in Washington Ellsworth sent BrOwnell back to
bring up his company but. not waiting for IL to
ioin him. he rashly passed to the hotel and de-
manded OF the first man he met: What sort OF a
flag is that flying the roof OF this house,
Then without waiting to demand its removal he
ran upstairs 10 the topmost story and cIambeTing
TO the root cut the halyards and pulled the ia e
down. As he descending from the roof the
proprietor ]. w Jackson. stepped out from a
dimly lighted passage and fired a charge OF buck
shot from his gun into Elisworth's body and he
died almost instantly. Jackson then tried to shoot
Brownen but the latter was too quick and. grasp
ing the gun he fired at Jackson from his own
rife and killed him Instantly.
The regiment known Ellsworth's Zouaves
but. OF the members explained 1T re-
tanned the name OF Ellsworth only because one of
the organizers had brother who once saw a pic