If you’re a fan of Morning Bray Farm’s Ellsworth, here’s a bit of trivia for you.
Col. Elmer E. Ellsworth was the first Union officer to be killed during the Civil War. (I love his name.)
Shot by an innkeeper while taking down a Confederate flag in Alexandria, Virginia, Ellsworth became a martyr for the Union cause.
From Wikipedia:
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.
Here’s the part I like the best:
Ellsworth was only 5′ 6″ tall, but Lincoln called Ellsworth “the greatest little man I ever met.”
Sounds like another Ellsworth we know and love, doesn’t it? ♥
Morning Bray Farm 
November 17, 2011 at 7:36 pm
Our Ellsworth is a very noble fellow, as well.
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November 17, 2011 at 7:52 pm
I love facts like this that I can store in my trivial pursuit style brain. This is really cool. And yes Ellsworth is certainly aptly named. Such a sweet good boy and herd master.
Smooches and squoozes, Oma Linda
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November 17, 2011 at 9:15 pm
Cool trivia! Ellesworth lives up to his namesake.
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November 18, 2011 at 7:13 am
Little known is the fact that behind Col. Ellsworth, Captain Brewster B. Bernard was waiting to chew the flag into shreds. 😉
When interrogated later, the innkeeper stated he did not fire at Cap. Bernard because “he was such an amuzing fellowe.”
Bernard was later cited for fraternizing with the enemy after being found playing tag with the innkeeper’s three children. After somehow avoiding formal punishment, he returned to the scene of the crime to erect a monument to his fallen Colonel.
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November 18, 2011 at 7:14 am
Flartus,
LOL. We just love you. 😀
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November 18, 2011 at 7:28 am
Yes, we do!
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November 18, 2011 at 7:29 am
p.s. Our Ellsworth was actually named after one of our favorite characters on the HBO series, Deadwood… Whitney Ellsworth.
Regardless, we’re happy that he shares a name with the Colonel. 🙂
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November 18, 2011 at 7:29 am
I never know what I’m going to learn every time I visit the Morning Bray Farm.
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November 22, 2011 at 7:05 am
I recently learned about one of our local heroes, too! Brigadier General Marcellus Monroe Crocker was an attorney from Des Moines. He single handedly raised a militia from Iowa to fight in the Civil War. Perhaps General Crocker could lend his name to your next equine acquisiton?
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November 22, 2011 at 7:46 am
Mo,
I think that’s a splendid idea! Marcellus, Monroe, and Crocker are all fitting names for distinguished donkeys. 🙂
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