A nationally-known Civil War historian presents "Colonel Elmer Ellsworth and the 11th New York Fire Zouaves: Heroes or Humbugs?" on Monday. Patrick Schroeder gives the special presentation starting at 6 p.m. in the Oneida County Historical Society, 1608 Genesee St., Utica.
Admission is $2 or free for society members and children ages 5 and under.
Schroeder is historian at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park in Virginia.
Society officials said, "No federal regiment marched to war with such high expectations for military glory than charismatic Colonel Elmer Ellsworth’s 11th New York Volunteer Infantry, popularly known as the Fire Zouaves."
The regiment was mainly composed of members of New York City’s Volunteer Fire Department, men known throughout Manhattan for their physical prowess, reckless courage and swaggering bravado. The exploits of these red-shirted daredevils were widely recounted in the press, and at a time when many people believed the sectional conflict would be settled in a matter of months, the firemen’s strength and zeal promised to guarantee valorous deeds on the battlefield. What became of Ellsworth and how did they fare at the July 21, 1861, Battle of Bull Run?
This program also covers the origin of the Zouave craze in America and Ellsworth’s United States Zouave Cadet 1860 tour with several stops being in New York, including Utica.
Schroeder was born at Fort Belvoir, Va., and lived in Utica until he was 13. He has a master’s of arts degree in Civil War History from Virginia Tech and has written, edited and/or contributed to more than 25 Civil War titles including: More Myths About Lee’s Surrender; The Confederate Cemetery at Appomattox; Recollections and Reminiscences of Old Appomattox; A Duryee Zouave; We Came To Fight: A History of the 5th NY Veteran Vol. Inf., Duryee’s Zouaves; Campaigns of the 146th Regiment New York State Volunteers; The Life of General Ely S. Parker: Least Grand Sachem of the Iroquois and Grant’s Military Secretary; and With the 11th New York Fire Zouaves: In Camp, Battle and Prison.
He resides in Lynchburg, Va., and has been the Historian at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park since 2002.
On the net: www.oneidacountyhistory.org
