First Fallen

"Meg Groeling’s exciting and wonderfully written life of the marvelous Elmer Ellsworth...should inspire a movement for one of the U.S. military bases now named for a traitor to be renamed for this brilliant young patriot..." ~Sidney Blumenthal

"In this carefully researched, smoothly written, poignant biography of Ellsworth, the first to appear in over half a century, Meg Groeling makes it clear why Lincoln was so powerfully drawn to the magnetic young man, who in 1860 had captured the nation’s imagination as a leader of a crack militia team and in the following year again captured the public’s imagination as the first Union officer to be killed." ~Michael Burlingame, author of "An American Marriage: The Untold Story of Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd"

"Groeling’s book weaves together the major incidents and relationships that helped to create and define Ellsworth’s brief, shining moment in the American spotlight just as the nation teetered on the precipice of Civil War." ~Damian Shiels, author of "The Irish in America"

"Meg Groeling has mined the sources to give us the first full-length biography of Col. Elmer Ellsworth in 60 years" ~Harry Smeltzer, www.bullrunnings.wordpress.com

"Meg Groeling’s lovingly crafted biography First Fallen traces Ellsworth’s transformation and illuminates it with new research, careful analysis, and fresh insight. " ~Chris Mackowski, editor-in-chief, Emerging Civil War (www.emergingcivilwar.com)

“In the six decades since the last portrait of Ellsworth was written, new information has been found that gives readers and historians a better understanding of the Ellsworth phenomenon and his deep connections to the Lincoln family. Exceptionally well written and impressively informative, "First Fallen: The Life of Colonel Elmer Ellsworth, the North's First Civil War Hero" examines every facet of Elmer Ellsworth (April 11, 1837 - May 24, 1861) surprisingly complex and fascinating life, while adding a key note to the historiography of the Civil War.” ~Midwest Book Review

“Readers will appreciate Groeling’s attention to detail, especially in the later parts of the book that present Ellsworth’s Fire Zouaves actions at the Battle of Manassas. Her skill as both a biographer and military historian shine through. I especially enjoyed the inclusion of letters and quotes throughout the book that complimented the narrative nicely.” ~Today's History Lesson

“Meg Groeling writes in an engaging, popular style, and debunks some of the myths about Ellsworth’s life while faithfully reporting both the positive and negative aspects of his character and actions. This is a complete, well-rounded account of a man and an event that made a strong impact on affairs of the day and a national hero of a young boy soldier.” ~Journal of America's Military Past

“Groeling’s well-written, superbly researched, and astutely constructed biography will certainly appeal to those interested in Ellsworth and those with whom he interacted…anyone interested in stories of resiliency and persistence will find this biography inspiring.” ~Civil War News

“This is a fine book. It takes a minor but well-known story, amplifies it with new evidence, and enhances its meaning by connecting it to larger social and political trends. Every era of history has its professors and university press books; students of the American Civil War are fortunate also to have talented authors outside of academia like Meg Groeling, and publishers like Savas Beatie giving them a voice.” ~Civil War Book Review

“The best part of Groeling’s book is how she allows readers to know who Ellsworth was, what he accomplished in life, how he affected those around him, and why the people of the North thought of him as a martyr and an important symbol. First Fallen is a straightforward, deeply researched biography that is persuasively argued and well written, reminding us that symbolically Ellsworth was the first victim of the Civil War as Lincoln was the last.” ~The NYMAS Review