The Chicago Zouaves Cadet Drill Team at Utica
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The Chicago Zouaves Cadet Drill Team at Utica
c. 1860
J. Graff
Oil on panel
34 x 51¼ in.
Chicago History Museum
1980.227, ICHi-62631
Ellsworth and the Zouaves returned to Chicago after their tour and disbanded. Ellsworth moved to Springfield to study law with Abraham Lincoln, and campaigned for him in the 1860 presidential campaign. When the Civil War began, Ellsworth volunteered as the Colonel of the 11th New York Infantry, also known as the “Fire Zouaves” because the members were firefighters in New York City. Ellsworth died on May 24, 1861 while trying to take down a Confederate flag in Alexandria, Virginia, the first Union officer to die in the war. Lincoln mourned his death deeply and gave him a state funeral at the White House. Other Chicago Zouaves also joined the Union army, serving with the Nineteenth Illinois Infantry and wearing the colorful uniforms that Graff documented in his 1859 portrait.
Questions:
1. Compare this scene to that of General Grant at Fort Donelson. What differences can you find in the artists’ styles? What elements are present in both?
2. What purpose do uniforms serve?
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