In the spring of 1861, the American Civil War had just begun, and the nation was looking toward its first major conflicts. However, one of the earliest and most symbolic deaths of the war occurred not on a vast battlefield, but on the rooftop of a small hotel in Alexandria, Virginia.
The man was Elmer E. Ellsworth, a native of New York. In 1860, he had moved to Springfield, Illinois, where he studied law under a prominent local attorney named Abraham Lincoln. During the presidential election of that year, Ellsworth put his energy into helping with Lincoln’s campaign.
When the war broke out following the attack on Fort Sumter, Ellsworth was quick to enlist. He organized and led the 11th New York Volunteers, a regiment that would soon be called into action.
General Winfield Scott dispatched Ellsworth and his men to occupy the town of Alexandria, Virginia. The Union troops moved in quickly and took control of the area. During the occupation, they spotted a Confederate flag flying from the top of a local hotel known as the Marshall House.
Determined to remove the symbol of rebellion, Ellsworth entered the hotel and climbed to the roof to take down the flag. As he descended with the banner in hand, the hotel’s angry owner, James Jackson, confronted him. Jackson shot and killed Ellsworth on the spot.
Ellsworth’s men immediately returned fire, killing Jackson. The exchange was swift, but the loss was profound. Elmer E. Ellsworth became the first Union officer to die in the Civil War.
His death sent shockwaves through the North. President Lincoln and Mrs. Lincoln attended the funeral service for Colonel Ellsworth, which was held at the White House. In a deeply personal gesture, Mrs. Lincoln placed a wreath on his casket.
After his death on May 24th, Ellsworth’s body was embalmed, making him one of the first Americans to undergo the then-new process. He was laid in state in the East Room of the White House, where mourners could pay their respects to one of the war’s first fallen heroes.