1860s CDV/COL. ELMER E. ELLSWORTH/Fire Zouaves/UNION Martyr--L. Prang & Co.?

Description

Printed carte-de-visite image of Colonel Elmer E. Ellsworth, probably published by L. Prang & Co. of Boston, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C., circa 1860s. The portrait view, entitled Col. E.E. Ellsworth, shows a young mustached man wearing a kepi and odd military uniform. This is Elmer E. Ellsworth (1837-1861), a lawyer who studied under and was a friend of Abraham Lincoln and a prominent militia figure before the Civil War. He raised the 11
th
New York Infantry (the Fire Zouaves) and served as its commander at the start of the war. He was shot when he tried to take down a Confederate flag at the Marshall House and became a martyr for the Union cause. This CDV does not have a maker’s mark, but I believe it was published by Louis Prang in 1861. The carte-de-visite is in good or better condition with only light wear and soiling. Note the minor foxing on the front (more noticeable on the back). A nice Civil War military image!