The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1904-09-22
With the Ellsworth zouaves.


Captain, lis your prince of raconteurs.
Two or three weeks ago 1 was thrown
In company with Generals Schwan
and Coates and Colonel Brayton, all
of whom have grown gray in the regu-
lar army. l was interested in Coates
because 1 had heard the boys here In
Chicago speak of him as a member of
the original Ellsworth zouaves. A ref
erence to Ellsworth started him, and
he told many stories of the first weeks
OF war in 1861, and Of the years pre-
ceding the war;
Coates was one Of the fifty-one men
who made the celebrated tour with
Ellsworth in 1860, and he laughed as
he told Of their experience in Albany,
N. Y. The officer commanding the
crack company in Albany that was to
receive Ellsworth with his zouaves
and escort them to quarters planned
to put the guests at a disadvantage at
the start. He reasoned that as the
zouaves came from a level country
they would know little of the difficult
ties Of marching up hill. Therefore
he planned an up hill march to put
the Chicago boys out of step and out
Of countenance before the crowd fill
ing the streets.
Ellsworth, however, had trained
his men to do all sorts of things well,
and when the zouaves with their es-
cort came to the hill they went up at
thirty-three inch cadence step, and
never missed a note, and showed not
the slightest sign of fatigue or con-
fusion. The men of the escort, how
ever, lost step or broke the cadence,
and there was slight confusion In the
ranks. To Ellsworth's men the march
seemed an everyday occurrence, and,
taken by surprise, the officer of the
company was so impressed by the
bearing Of the zouaves that he told
the story on himself.
when Ellsworth organized the
Eleventh New York infantry or Fire
zouaves at the opening of the civil
war, Coates was one of the six men
Of the old Chicago company given
commissions in the New York regi-
ment. He went with Ellsworth to
Alexandria, and just before the march
through the streets suggested to his
Colonel that he exchange the old cap
quarters. Ellsworth demurred, say
ing he had a great liking for the old
| cap because Of its associations. How
ever. he left the old cap In quarters
and wore the new one.
when he saw the rebel flag on tie
hotel and heard the threat of the pro-
| prietor to shoot any man who dared
to take it down, Ellsworth did not or
der any Of his men to take the risk,
| but went to the roof to take the flag
down himself. He came down the
steps with the flag thrown across the
left shoulder, and gathered in folds
across to the right side. The bullet
that killed him cut through the flag
to his heart and the flag was literally
stained or drenched with his hearts
blood.
Coates was given charge of the
body and went with it to Ellsworth
old home When asked, after burial,
what memento Of the Colonel he would
like he expressed a preference for the
old cap which Ellsworth had said was
so precious to him. The blood stained
flag was given him, and he has both
to-day as reminders Of his short but
eventful service In the volunteer army.
In August, 1861, he was transferred
to the regular army as Second Lieu
tenant in the Second cavalry, and was
retired in 1900 after nearly forty years
of active service. Colonel Brayton. by
the way, went into the regular service
in May, 1861, as First Lieutenant in
the Fifteenth infantry, and was re-
tired after thirty years service In
1S91.-Chicago Inter Ocean.