February 23rd, 2012
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/23/2012
Harper’s Weekly, July 28, 1860, complete and authentic newspaper, 16pp., disbound. From the interior, a full page wood cut engraving, “The Chicago Zouaves Executing Their Drill in New York, July 1860,” with a related report. Ellsworth is clearly shown leading the exercise. Ellsworth had studied the Zouave soldiers, French colonial troops in Algeria, and was impressed by their reported fighting quality. He outfitted his men in gaudy Zouave-style uniforms, and modeled their drill and training on the Zouaves. Ellsworth's unit eventually became a nationally famous drill team (ass illustrated here). In 1860, Ellsworth went to Springfield, Illinois, to work with Abraham Lincoln. He studied law in Lincoln's office and helped Lincoln with his 1860 campaign for president. Ellsworth was only 5' 6" tall, but Lincoln called Ellsworth ‘the greatest little man I ever met.’ He accompanied Lincoln to Washington, D.C. in 1861. The Civil War broke into open warfare in April, and on April 15, 1861, Lincoln called for 75,000 troops to put down rebellion. Ellsworth helped recruit these soldiers: he raised the 11th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment (the ‘Fire Zouaves’) from New York City's volunteer firefighting companies, and returned to Washington as their colonel.
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