Lincoln's Letter to the Parents of Colonel Elmer Ellsworth

I had hoped to post something regarding this yesterday, but in the course of my busy day it simply slipped my mind. As I posted two days ago, this May 24 was the 150th anniversary of the death of Colonel Elmer Ellsworth. While the death of one soldier in a war which claimed the lives of over 600,000 may seem trivial to some, Ellsworth's death was a major rallying cry in the North during the early months of the conflict.

On May 25, 150 years ago yesterday, President Abraham Lincoln, a close personal friend of Ellsworth's, wrote the following letter to the grieving parents of Colonel Elmer Ellsworth. Not only is this one of the most heartfelt letters that Lincoln ever wrote, but it should also be noted that it would not be long before Lincoln himself would occupy the seat of the grieving parent for the second time. In 1850, Lincoln's son Edward Baker Lincoln, or "Eddie" for short, passed away at the tender age of four. In February of 1862, Lincoln's 11 year old son Willie passed away in the White House, most likely from Typhoid Fever. Clearly, Lincoln understood the pains of losing a child, and this letter below is one of the more remarkable messages that he wrote during his presidency.

To the Father and Mother of Colonel Elmer E. Ellsworth:
My dear Sir and Madam,

In the untimely loss of your noble son, our affliction here, is scarcely less than your own. So much of promised usefulness to one's country, and of bright hopes for one's self and friends, have rarely been so suddenly dashed, as in his fall. In size, in years, and in youthful appearance, a boy only, his power to command men, was surpassingly great. This power, combined with a fine intellect, an indomitable energy, and a taste altogether military, constituted in him, as seemed to me, the best natural talent, in that department, I ever knew.

And yet he was singularly modest and deferential in social intercourse. My acquaintance with him began less than two years ago; yet through the latter half of the intervening period, it was as intimate as the disparity of our ages, and my engrossing engagements, would permit. To me, he appeared to have no indulgences or pastimes; and I never heard him utter a profane, or intemperate word. What was conclusive of his good heart, he never forgot his parents. The honors he labored for so laudably, and, in the sad end, so gallantly gave his life, he meant for them, no less than for himself.

In the hope that it may be no intrusion upon the sacredness of your sorrow, I have ventured to address you this tribute to the memory of my young friend, and your brave and early fallen child.

May God give you that consolation which is beyond all earthly power.

Sincerely your friend in a common affliction--
A. Lincoln

The Death of Colonel Elmer Ellsworth

150 years ago today, on May 24, 1861, in Alexandria, Virginia, New York native Colonel Elmer Ellsworth was gunned down in the Marshall House hotel by owner James Jackson after personally having taken down a Confederate flag flying above the hotel, which was visible from the White House.

Colonel Elmer Ellsworth was at the lead of an expiditionary force sent across the Potomac in response to Virginia's ratification of the ordinance of secession the day before on May 23. Ellsworth was a figure of national recognition. He was at the helm of one of the nation's first Zouave regiments. In 1860, as the fervor of nationalism and sectionalism was reaching a boiling point in both the North and the South, and it was readily apparent to all that armed conflict was just around the corner, local militia groups began to multiply and prepare for war. As an homage to the famed French African Corps, who wore distintive red and blue uniforms, some men took the name of Zouave. Ellsworth was at the lead of one of these units, the 11th New York Volunteer Infantry, also known as the "Fire Zouaves," as the men were primarly volunteer fire fighters from New York City.

Ellsworth was the first Northern officer killed in the war, and his death became a rallying cry for the North as millions mobilized for war. Scores of Zouave regiments popped up as a tribute to Ellsworth and the 11th New York. President Lincoln, a close personal friend of Ellsworth's (Ellsworth had lived in Illinois for a period of time, and had actually worked as a law clerk in Lincoln's Springfield office), openly wept upon hearing of the Colonel's death. Several days later, Ellsworth laid in state in the East Room of the White House. When passing by the coffin, Lincoln was heard to say, "My boy! My boy! Was it necessary this sacrifice should be made?" In the four years ahead, Lincoln no doubt repeated that question thousands upon thousands of times as he paced the corridors of the White House, pondering the casualty figures for that day. Ellsworth's death 150 years ago today was but one of the first of hundreds of thousands of deaths which would tear the nation asunder, only to create a new birth of freedom.