Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Ellsworth, Elmer Ephraim (1837-1861) [Glossy photocard of Colonel Elmer Ellsworth]

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03617.01 Author/Creator: Ellsworth, Elmer Ephraim (1837-1861) Place Written: s.l. Type: Printed document Date: circa 1861 Pagination: 1 p. ; 8.7 x 5.3 cm. Order a Copy

Colored picture card of Colonel Elmer Ephraim Ellsworth, wearing his uniform. Two crossed American flags grace the background along with two bayonetted rifles. Underneath the picture of Ellsworth is an image of a sword and olive branch crossing. Also underneath the picture is a quote attributed to Ellsworth after his death that stresses his martyrdom: "He who noteth even the fall of a sparrow will have some purpose even in the fate of one like me -- Ellsworth."

Colonel Elmer Ephraim Ellsworth, a friend of Abraham Lincoln, was commander of the 11th New York Infantry, a unit of Zouaves from the New York City Fire Department. He was killed on 24 May 1861, attempting to remove a Confederate flag from the Marshall House, a hotel in Alexandria, Virginia.

Ellsworth, E. E. (Elmer Ephraim), 1837-1861

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