Shed The First Rebel Blood

On last lhursday there died in Chicago a man who more than thirty years ago was an actor in an affair which sent a thrill of horror throughout the country. This man was Francis Edwin Brownell.he who shed the first drop of rebel blood for the preservation of the American union. Brovvnell was a private in the Ellsworth Zouaves, a famous volunteer organization commanded by Col. E. E. Ellsworth, which attacted much attention in ton at the beginning of the rebellion by its novel drill based on the quick movements of the Moors. President Lincoln took a great interest in Ellsworth and bis fire Zouaves, and on the formal secession of Virginia, they were dispatched along with the First Mich. Infantry to occupy Alexandria. On a beautiful May morning, Friday, the 24, they went by ferry boat, escorted by the war steamer Pawnee, and occupied the ancient borough without opposition. As soon as the troops landed Col. Ellsworth, taking a half dozen of his men, started for the Marshall House over which fioated a rebel flag,which was plainly visible with a glass from the window of President Lincoln's private office. Mounting the stair case and going out on the roof Ellsworth hauled down the rebel ensigu and was returning with it wheu James Williatn Jackson, the proprietor, appeared in the hallway armed with a double-barreled shot gun. Addressing him, Ellsworth said: "I have the first prize,"and"I the second," said Jackson, firing full at the Colonel with fatal effect. Before the second barrel could be discharged, Brownell shot and killed Jackson and pinned him to the Moor with his sword bayonet. For his part in the action, Brownell was awarded a niedal by congress. He was also presented medals and other tokens by various cities of the north. Now the purpose of this article is to describe a couple of grwsome relies which came under our observation recently and were forgotten but recalled to mind by the death of Private Brownell. U'hile going through the Normal School museum at Vpsilanti in company with Prof. Sherzer not long since, and prying into the recessen of various forgotten relies there preserved, there were broughtto liht two bottles about three incheslongand an inchindiameter. In one there were some coal einders saturated with blood and an old and badly faded label yellow with age pasted upon the bottle conveyed the information that the bottle contained some ot the blood of Col. Ellsworth. The other bottle was about half full of a dark red liquid and the label gave out the information that the bottle contained the blood of Jackson, the murderer of the gallant Ellsworth. The bottle seemed to be carelessly sealed and yet the blood after the lapse of more than thirty years was still in a liquid condition. There was some further writing upon the labels which the writer does not at this time recall. The history of these two interesting relies, that is, how they came to be in the museum there, no person now about the institution can relate. They were probably sent to the institution by some alumnus or friend who was a member of the First Michigan Infantry which was with Ellsworth in Alexandria at the time of his murder. It is strange what a train of thought such relies will a waken in the mind.