Gen. Lew Wallace and his retreating troops in 1864 drawn by 11 year old Edwin Abbey

Edwin Abbey (1852-1911), who would gain fame painting large murals while living in England, visited his father’s sister and her husband Dr. Isaac J. Martin in Ellicott City during summers. In July 1864 the Union army lost the Battle of Monocacy, near Frederick. Troops under Lew Wallace marched down Main St. followed by the three officers, walking leading their horses.

Lew Wallace (1827-1905) held several posts after he resigned from the Army, including Governor of New Mexico Territory and then US Minister to Turkey (Ottoman Empire).  But his fame is from the book he wrote - Ben-Hur, published in 1880, and the epic film in 1959.

Abbey watched the wearied soldiers on Main St, Ellicott's mills while on a "granite block in front of Martin’s drug store" which was owned by his uncle. "I J Martin, Apoth" X at bottom right of 1860 map

According to his cousin Roswell Abbey Martin, the same age – “Gen. Lew Wallace’s Union troops passed through Ellicott City on their retreat from the battle of Monocacy, and the whole town was stirred over the presence of the soldiers, the Southern sentiment being very strong.  Edwin’s Northern sympathies had brought him into many conflicts with the boys in town.  The bedraggled appearance of Wallace’s troops had a humorous side which struck Edwin forcibly.  Some of the men wore coats, others did not.  A few carried muskets, others rifles, while still more trudged along, with no firearms at all.  They were generally a sorry lot.

The First “Moving Picture.”

Edwin made a series of small drawings which he pasted on a long strip of paper and wound around two pieces of a broomstick, placing the whole in a box with a glass top.  It was really a moving picture, probably the first, and the residents of Ellicott City were permitted to view Abbey’s impressions of the soldiers by paying ‘an admission of a pin apiece.’

The Sun  Aug 2, 1911

“Admiral” Edward P. Duffy, was part of a “little company of boy soldiers”, became a writer and on editorial staff of the Baltimore Sun wrote an article in the Sun on April 28, 1907.

“On July 11 [1864] the main column of the retreating army began entering the town.  The street was crowded with sightseers.  Standing upon a granite block in front of Martin’s drug store was a little fellow, fair of face, shoes smile always brought out a dimple on each side of his pleasant mouth.  He watched with deep interest the moving soldiers as if drawing inspiration from the scene.  The last of the troops having passed, some distance behind them were three officers, each leading his horse by the reins.  This trio closed the passing panorama of a defeated army.  

The central figure of the three officers was Gen. Lew Wallace, later United States Minister to Turkey and author of Ben-Hur” and “The Prince of India.”  The boy, who gazed upon his retreating legions, was Edwin Austin Abbey, who was destined to become one of America’s most famous painters and artists. …

During his seclusion of about two days he had sketched on a ribbon of white paper several yards long a full regiment of Wallace’s retreating legions.  Not a feature of regimental formation was neglected, even to the tattered colors, [flags] and the men with guns and without guns were there.
 
Soldiers on crutches, arms in slings and heads in bandages were mosaicked in to complete the impression received by the embryo artist two days before.  We were allowed to see this picture, which had been mounted at each end on rollers, and as manipulated made a moving panorama.
 

Here Abbey brought out the commercial side of his nature.  After the opinions passed by his critics – which I am sure, were much more enthusiastic than a Royal Academy commendation – it was decided to exhibit the marvelous picture at “one pin to see the show.” – Everybody in the town that could raise a pin added their encomiums to the production of Master Abbey.  He gathered in the price of the “see” faster than he could stick them into the lapels of his coat.

Donated to Hospital

It may be credited to the artist that he donated all the receipts of the show to the medical corps of our organization to secure the bandaged wounds received by my troops [group of boys acting as soldiers] whose marches made sore feet, and especially “stubbed toes.”  Abbey and his cousin, Roswell Abbey Martin, were the only members of the command whose parents could afford to have them wear shoes seven days in the week. …
Baltimore Sun. April 28, 1907

According to the article Abbey lived during his first four years in Ellicott's mills at the site of the home owned in 1911 by Dr. M. Gist Sykes. “Thanksgiving among the early Puritans” picture done when he was about 12, was published in Harper’s Weekly.  He worked for them until moving to England where he remained, even changing his citizenship, until his death in 1911.

©2019 Patricia Bixler Reber
Forgotten history of Ellicott City & Howard County MD