Marshall House (Alexandria, Virginia)
| Marshall House | |
|---|---|
The Marshall House Inn (photo 1861) | |
Location within Alexandria Historical District | |
| General information | |
| Type | Hotel |
| Location | 480 King Street, Alexandria, Virginia, United States |
| Coordinates | 38°48′16.90″N 77°2′40.45″W / 38.8046944°N 77.0445694°W |
| Demolished | 1950s |
The Marshall House was an inn that stood at 480 King Street (near the southeast corner of King Street and South Pitt Street) in Alexandria, Virginia. At the beginning of the American Civil War in 1861, the house was the site of the killing of Col. Elmer E. Ellsworth during the Union Army's takeover of Alexandria. Ellsworth was a popular and highly prominent officer and a close friend of President Abraham Lincoln.
Ellsworth was the first conspicuous Union Army casualty and the first officer killed in battle during the war. He was shot by the inn's proprietor James W. Jackson after removing a Confederate flag from the roof of the inn. Jackson was immediately killed after he killed Ellsworth. Ellsworth's death became a cause célèbre for the Union, while Jackson's death became the same for the Confederacy.