Captain Addison Lee Ewing

Company I, 63rd Indiana Infantry

Haubstadt, Indiana

. . . Heaven I believe is favoring us that we will finally succeed in putting down the Rebellion.

What are Ewing’s enlistment details?He enlisted on May 1, 1862 as a 1st Sergeant.

He was a resident of Haubstadt, Indiana, mustering in to Company C, 63rd Indiana Infantry at age 25.

A total of 98 men enlisted from Haubstadt during the war. 59 would return.

Ewing resigned for disability on April 6, 1865. He saw three promotions during the war, eventually making Captain (10/1/64, Co I).

Haubstadt is part of Gibson County, Indiana. It is just 25 miles due north of Evansville, Indiana.

Who was A.L. Ewing?It appears Lee Ewing’s father originally settled in what was called Haub Station.

By 1862 Ewing was a literate 25 year old Hoosier who apparently earned a pre-war living by teaching.

He was a young married man (m. 1860) with a little boy of 1 year old in 1862.

Lee was devoted to his wife Mary and they shared a common bond in the Presbyterian church.

They had a nice home and farm in Haubstadt. It appears that Mary’s mother and father lived in the same property in 1864.

Action the 63rd Indiana saw?1862

August 28-30 | Second Battle of Bull Run, Pope’s Campaign in Northern Virginia.

Late Dec 1862 | Guard duty at Shepherdsville, Kentucky along the L&N railroad. Saw action against John Hunt Morgan.

1863

Early 1863 | Operations against Morgan

Various support positions with the 23rd Army Corps

Action the 63rd Indiana saw?1864

Spring | Movements in Cumberland Mountain region.

Summer | Atlanta Campaign including Rocky Face Ridge, Dalton, Resaca, Allatoona, Kennesaw Mountain, Marietta, siege of Atlanta, Jonesboro, Lovejoy Station.

Fall & Winter | Hood’s Middle Tennessee Campaign including, North Alabama, Columbia, Spring Hill, Franklin and Nashville.

1865

Winter/Spring | Campaign of the Carolinas

Ewing letters24 separately dated letters

22 of 24 are from Sept thru Dec 1864

11 are written while in GA in Sept 1864

10 are written in TN during Hood’s campaign

Three are pre-Columbia action

Six are written from Nashville, covers Franklin and Nashville action.

Misc Ewing itemsSeveral muster in/out documents.

May 14, 1864 hand-written casualty list from Resaca action.

Dec 6 1864, clothing record for Company I, 63rd Indiana.

Misc – pension records, Masonic certificate, and receipts.

1889 personal diary/journal.

The Lilly Ewing DiariesThe Eli Lilly Library at Indiana University has copies and a couple original A.L. Ewing war-dated diaries or journals.

Lilly has graciously provided me with a copy of the complete war years’ diaries.

I own an 1888-89 diary book.

Nov 29 diary entry – Columbia, TN

Soon after dark we withdrew in silence and was on the march back to Franklin a distance of 23 miles. Just before we got to Spring Hill we could see a long string of lights on our right not far off, and supposing it was the 4th Corps in camp we were looking forward to an immediate rest when to our surprise we were told that it was the lights of a rebble camp. Men ordered not to speak nor let their accoutrements rattle, we were so close we could see their camp guards (night guards).

Nov 30 diary entry – Franklin, TN

When the advancing line came up within range the infantry behind the works, a sheet of flame leaped forth with death and wounds in it for hundreds of the brave men fighting for an ignoble cause . The whole scene of action was soon covered with smoke that but little could be seen in detail. For about a dozen times the Rebs was led to charge, only to be repulsed with great slaughter. Many of their banners were planted upon our works with the most heroic determination but was met with as determined resistance.

Clark diary, 63rd Indiana

At 4 o’clock p.m., the enemy came, they drove in our pickets and made a desperate charge upon our works, but were driven back with great slaughter, however this did not satisfy them, and they came again and again until they had made as much as 8 or 10 different charges upon our works. They took a portion of our works at one time, but were immediately retaken by our men; they fought with a desperation worthy of a better cause.

Dec 1st diary entry – Nashville

Reb General Adams was killed in the ditch. Genl Pat Cleburne was amongst the slain. During the interval from their last charge to the time we left, the quiet was broken by the moans and piteous cries of the wounded for water, out in the darkness. I could but feel sympathy for the poor fellows though they would do us and our country all the harm they could.

Dec 3rd letter – Nashville All is good here! Coming in on the heels of the great victory we won over the enemy at Franklin on the 30th Nov makes us feel good. I have no doubt you have heard all about what we accomplished but you must want to know how I came out which was all right. The Rebs fought desperately. Colonels and Generals rode right up to our faces bringing their men up in fine style but “blue coats” wouldn’t budge back one inch and they fell victims of their own mad actions. A person could walk over several acres of ground passing from one dead body to another. It was a terrible slaughter. We took almost 3,000 prisoners and 12 colors. Many more could have been taken up but it was dark & our forces fell back to this place inside its fortifications, where we can use the Rebble army up if they come on to us. There is no quicker way of suffering this war than by having the Rebs charge our works, when they invariably get whipped.

Dec 8th diary entry – Nashville

Evening: – Went with Sergt W.C. Olds [William C. Olds] to the old theatre, saw Alladin played, a pretty nice play.

According to the Nashville Dispatch, December 9, 1864.

“Aladdin” continues to draw numerous audiences to this time-honored house, and no wonder, for Miss Julia Nelson has won the hearts of all the bachelors, and Harry Everett has won the affections of the ladies. Go and see this spectacle, by all means; the scenery alone is worth double the price of admission.

Dec 8th letter – Nashville. . . it is cold, raining, snowing, sleeting . . . we are in shelter tents, no wood and nothing to make ourselves comfortable . . . the poor half-clad creatures [Confederates] out a couple of miles must suffer with the cold, for they have no gum blankets nor plenty of good clothing as we do.

There was a rumor just now that they were leaving our front. I wish they would, and go so far that we would see them no more of this winter.

“. . . no wood to make fires and most of us thinly clad, our suffering is intense.” A.P. Cannon, 27th Alabama, Bloody Banners, p. 102.

Dec 11th letter – NashvilleYes I was there in command of our Brigade skirmish line when the battle commenced. But our Heavenly Father has spared me through another fierce conflict where many fell, more worthy than I. It is impossible for me to give you any real idea of the fierceness of the charge of the Rebbles. Or the gallantry with which it was met by the boys in blue.

I am glad that the poor of Evansville are so well remembered by the farmers of Vanderburgh. I shall always be a friend to the poor

Mid Dec diary entries – Nashville14th - Day before yesterday [the 12th] there was 500 Rebels came in and gave up, tired of the war.

18th - Some captured wagons and 300 captured prisoners pass to our rear. Some of them barefooted.

19th - we moved over to Franklin and camp on the old battleground which is dotted with many graves of the slain of 18 days ago. I went up to see the old works where we lay during the fight.

20th - All day we have passed the wrecks of Hood’s fleeing army, signs of hot pursuit.

Dec 22nd letter – NashvilleDay before yesterday [Dec 20th] we was at Franklin where there are hundreds of new made graves filled by the enemy.

I went up to the old breastworks where we lay & all over our Brigade which is pretty well dotted with Rebble graves. At one place there is 14 of Co K, 14th Miss laying in a row. I see one grave marked by J.P. See[d] 55th TN. There are dead horses laying around unburied. Some of them almost up over our works.

. . . Heaven I believe is favoring us that we will finally succeed in putting down the Rebellion.

The 63rd Indiana at Franklin?The 63rd IN was the center part of the far left Union flank in Stiles’ Brigade.

Loring’s Division made up of Scott and Featherston assaulted the Union flank, much to their own demise.

Loring’s Division’s deaths by Brigade

1st Batty1st MS3rd MS

22nd MS31st MS33rd MS40th MS

Featherston

6th MS14th MS15th MS20th MS23rd MS43rd MS

Adams

12th LA27th AL35th AL49th AL55th AL57th AL

Scott

0 5 10 15 20 25

Series1

Loring’s Division’s highest deaths by CSA unit

31st MS

15th MS

3rd MS

14th MS

33rd MS

20th MS

21

1514

1010

10