First Fallen: The Life of Colonel Elmer Ellsworth, The North’s First Civil War Hero
You may know that Colonel Elmer Ellsworth was the first Union officer killed in the American Civil War; but, do you know why, when it happened, on May 24, 1861, the entire North was aghast? Why was Ellsworth famous before his untimely death? Did you know Ellsworth’s friend, and law mentor, was Abraham Lincoln; or, that Mary Lincoln insisted that he lie in state in the East Room of their home? Our speaker, Meg Groeling, has spent years examining archival resources, diaries, personal letters, newspapers, and other accounts, so she can tell us Ellsworth’s story, including. new information that will give us a better understanding of the Ellsworth phenomenon. The story of Ellsworth’s life is complex, and fascinating; but it is also the story of many young men who fought and died for the Union. Elmer, however, was the first and, according to those who remember him, perhaps the best. Join us and REMEMBER ELLSWORTH!

Meg Groeling
Meg Groeling is a regular contributor to the blog Emerging Civil War, exploring subjects beyond the battlefield such as personalities, politics, and practices that affected the men who did the fighting. A writer, teacher, and curriculum developer since 1987, she has taught at both the elementary and middle school levels for more than thirty years. She graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a B.A. in liberal studies and has been involved in continuing education for her entire career. Meg received a master’s degree from American Public University, majoring in military history with a Civil War emphasis. Savas Beatie published her first book, "The Aftermath of Battle: The Burial of the Civil War Dead," in the fall of 2015. This is a volume in the Emerging Civil War Series, although it differs from the others in that it takes on a much broader range of subject. The book has received excellent reviews and has already gone into its second printing. Her new book, “First Fallen," tells the complex story of Colonel Elmer Ellsworth, and includes accounts of John Hay, George Nicolay, Abraham Lincoln, and the Lincoln family which put Ellsworth clearly at the forefront of the excitement that led up to the 1860 election of a President. Meg lives in Hollister, California, in a lovely 1928 bungalow covered with roses outside and books inside.