Alexandria, Va., Taken by Col. Ellsworth’s Zouaves on the Morning of the 24th of May, 1861 / Landing of Ellsworth’s Zouaves at Alexandria, Virginia on the Morning of May 24, 1861.

The day after Virginia’s secession was popularly ratified on May 23, 1861; General Winfield Scott ordered the occupation of Alexandria and present-day Arlington County, Virginia. Union troops marched across the Aqueduct and Long Bridge or arrived by steamer. Two weeks later, the “New-York Illustrated News” carried the story with this illustration. These troops were a volunteer infantry regiment of New York firemen under the command of Union Colonel Elmer Ellsworth. Ellsworth modeled his Zouaves on those of the French Emperor Napoleon III’s precision infantry - known for their skill, bravery, and colorful uniforms.

John Lim (Author), Mapping Cultural Philanthropy: Albert H. Small Washingtoniana Collection, Dumbarton Oaks Museum, Washington, D.C., August 2018

The Civil War and the Making of a Modern Washington, The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum, Washington DC, March 21, 2015 - October 15, 2015