This letter was most likely written by James “King” Ewing (1844-1917) who enlisted in Co. E, 27th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI). King wrote the letter in October 1864 from Chattanooga, Tennessee, while detached from the regiment and working as a clerk in the Ordnance Office of the Department of the Cumberland. King is known to have been discharged from the service at Chattanooga in 1864.
King was the son of Jacob Ewing (1802-1878) and Rebecca McNeal (1804-1859) of Huntington, Gallia county, Ohio. He addressed the letter to his older sister, Mary Jane Ewing (1827-1900). He also mentions having received a letter from his sister Elizabeth (“Lib”) Berilla Ewing (1832-1905). Both sisters, I believe, still resided in Gallia county, Ohio—a region of southeast Ohio with strongly divided loyalties between the North and South.
After King’s mother died in 1859, his father went to Illinois and Missouri looking for a place to relocate. He was yet enumerated in Gallia county in 1860 but by the spring of 1864 had returned to Illinois where he established himself in Hancock county. After his discharge from the service, King joined his father in Illinois but later reenlisted, in 1865, in Co. G, 4th U. S. Veteran Volunteer Infantry.
[Note: This letter is from the personal collection of Jim Doncaster and is published by express consent.]
Transcription
Assistant Ordnance Office
Department of the Cumberland
Chattanooga, Tennessee
October 11, 1864
“Sister Mary”
I am pleased to announce the arrival of yours dated October 2. It found me well and hearty and hoping that when this reaches its destination that it will find you all enjoying the same blessing.
Sister, I am very sorry to hear of your neighbors treating you so ill. But when they begin to call you a traitor and such as that, just please ask them which house has furnished the most soldiers—yours or theirs. I guess sister that you have as many relations in the Army as any of the and they are in as good standing too for that matter and there has none of your relations “played off” so as to get a discharge either. And I know of some prominent gentlemen in that city that have been discharged that are a great deal more fit to be in the service than I am. Such people have considerable grit and are very spunky when they are a long ways in the rear where there is no danger, but put them in the front where they can hear the roar of the artillery and rattle of small arms and you will find that they aint as heroic as they might be for when the fight commences in earnest, they are about the first one to “limber to the rear.” Never mind them sister. Let them expostulate as much as they please. They will hurt nobody with their slang.
I am pleased to learn that Thomas was not drafted but considerable surprised to find out that I who have served ever since the war broke out was drafted. Well, if they can make two men out of me, they are welcome to do it. But I think that there must be a bright set of enrolling officers in that district. I think that the principal part of their brains must lay in their lower extremity or else they were natural born foots—one of the two. I wish sister that you would ask Thomas to please find out who is the enrolling officer of our township if it won’t be of too much trouble to him and send me his name. I should like to drop the gentleman a line telling where I am and asking him if he would not like to come down and take me now that he has drafted me.
I suppose that you think very strange of my not writing oftener to you sister but I have so very much writing to do that when I do have a few leisure moments, my hand is so very tired that it seems almost a task to write to anybody. I am now acting as assistant chief clerk. My business is mostly all writing and some days I am so busy that I don’t have time to leave my desk—only to eat my meals. But notwithstanding all that, my work is comparatively very easy.
There was quite an accident in town last week. A house that had some fifty persons in it fell down and came very near killing four or five of its occupants besides badly bruising quite a number of the rest. The house was an old one and was occupied by men that were working for the government. The rebs hover all around us here but none of them dare attack the place for if they do, they know they will get badly whipped.
I have just received a letter from sister Lib. She says that she has lost her place and talks of moving back to the old farm. I did not think she would succeed when I heard of her trying that farm in the first place for it was too much of an undertaking for a person of her capital without any man person to take charge of the farm. I am a thousand times obliged to you, sister, for being so prompt in sending me money when I ask for it. I was real ashamed to send for money the second time but I guess that they never intend to pay us off in this department and while I am here I must have a little change to pay for my washing and get one thing and another that a person cannot get along without. You must keep count of everything you send me sister. What money you send me and the cost of all articles you send me so that when we come to settle up, we will know just how we stand.
I saw Lieut. Manly last week. His regiment is in town now. He is in good health and talks of coming home as soon as he can get his papers straightened up. I must close for the present. Give my kind regards to all enquiring friends if I have any. My love to all the family. Write soon.
From your brother, — J K. Ewing
Spared & Shared 22 