▁lawyer . ▁His ▁home ▁was ▁on ▁West ▁State ▁between ▁Av on ▁& ▁T ay ▁Stre ets ▁in ▁West ▁Rock ford . ▁ ▁Ell is ▁joined ▁Sp aff ord , ▁Charles ▁Church ▁and ▁Clark ▁in ▁establish ing ▁a ▁bank , ▁the ▁Sp aff ord , ▁Clark ▁and ▁Ell is ▁Bank ing ▁and ▁Exchange ▁Company , ▁while ▁he ▁pract iced ▁law ▁while ▁in ▁Rock ford . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁instrument al ▁in ▁establish ing ▁the ▁first ▁fire ▁department ▁in ▁Rock ford ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 5 , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁named ▁the ▁first ▁chief ▁engineer . ▁ ▁Civil ▁War ▁Ell is ▁was ▁involved ▁with ▁several ▁local ▁Rock ford ▁milit ia ▁and ▁cad et ▁corps , ▁including ▁the ▁one ▁that ▁organized ▁by ▁Col . ▁El mer ▁Ell sw orth , ▁considered ▁the ▁first ▁person ▁killed ▁in ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War . ▁Ell sw orth ▁was ▁a ▁personal ▁friend ▁of ▁future ▁President ▁Abraham ▁Lincoln ▁and ▁founder ▁of ▁the ▁Z ou ave ▁Mov ement , ▁popular ▁during ▁and ▁before ▁the ▁Civil ▁War . ▁Ell is ▁became ▁the ▁company ▁commander ▁of ▁the ▁' E ll is ▁R if les ', ▁Company ▁C , ▁ 1 5 th ▁Illinois ▁Infantry ▁before ▁being ▁elected ▁a ▁lieutenant ▁colon el ▁and ▁later ▁the ▁commander ▁of ▁that ▁regiment . ▁ ▁Ell is ▁volunte ered ▁for ▁duty ▁and ▁was ▁must ered ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁Regiment , ▁ 2 nd ▁Brigade , ▁ 4 th ▁Division ▁of ▁the ▁Army ▁of ▁the ▁Tennessee , ▁in ▁Free port , ▁Illinois . ▁The ▁ 1