Ewing, John K.

EWING

Posted By: Linda Ziemann (email)
Date: 4/18/2006 at 19:41:07

George Ida, 1908, History of Union County Iowa, pp 392-394

John K. Ewing

John K. Ewing, the efficient postmaster of Shannon City, and one of the popular residents of the town, with many friends whose esteem he has won and retained during the long years of his residence here, has made his home in the county since 1878. He was born in Madison township, Perry county, Pennsylvania, October 30, 1843, a son of Clark Ewing who in 1845 removed with his family to Illinois, settling in LaSalle county, where he died in 1851.

John K. Ewing was reared in Magnolia, Illinois and pursued his education in the district and graded schools. He was not yet eighteen years of age when, in response to his country's call for troops, he enlisted in June, 1861, joining Company A, First Illinois Cavalry. He participated in the battle of Lexington, Missouri, where he was wounded, being shot through the left knee while he also had a horse shot from under him.
This company furnished their own horses and were paid fifty cents per day. It was so expensive they were disbanded in July 1862, and on the 14th of August, 1862, Mr. Ewing became a member of Company F, One Hundred and Fourth Illinois Infantry, with which he served until the close of the war. He was seriously wounded at Chicamauga and left on the field for dead. A tree cut off by artillery fell over him and supposing that life was extinct his comrades did not bear him from the field until some time later. He was permanently disabled and was sent to the field hospital at Chattanooga, but could not content himself to remain there and made his escape, rejoining his regiment in time to participate in the battle of Kenesaw Mountain. He took part in the battle of Thompkinsville, Hatsville, Elk River and Tallahoma. He was ordered back to Chattanooga and was detailed as clerk in the office of the chief of ordinance for the Army of the Cumberland, remaining in that service until the spring of 1865. He was then sent to Goldshore, North Carolina, for clerical work and wrote seven copies of the official statement of the assasination of President Lincoln. When the war was over he was mustered out at Washington, D. C., and was honorably discharged at Chicago in June 1865 having served for four years lacking one month. He had scarcely more than attained his majority when the war was over but the experience of army life was a school of rapid development and he, who went to the front as a boy with limited experience, returned as a man tested in the school of war and learning; there many valuable lessons of life.

Feeling that his mental discipline was insufficient, he made arrangements for continuing his education, becoming a student in Magnolia Academy of Illinois. Later he attended Bryant & Stratton's commercial college in Chicago and thus qualified for life's practical and responsible duties.

Mr. Ewing made arrangements for having a home of his own by his marriage on the 18th of February, 1869, to Miss Amelia E. Alexander, a native of Illinois, who was born and reared at Magnolia. Unto them were born seven children: Mabel, now the wife of William Wolf, of Pendleton, Oregon; Herbert Clark, who died on his twenty-fifth birthday; Milo, a resident of Shannon City; Rose the wife of George Edward, of Shannon City; Arthur L., who is married and lives in Omaha, Nebraska; Avis and Fred A., both at home, the latter now serving as asistant postmaster.

Mr. and Mrs. Ewing began their domestic life upon a farm and for three years, Mr. Ewing engaged in agricultural pursuits in Putnam and Livingston counties, Illinois. He then removed to Streator, that state, where he engaged in merchandising from 1872 until 1878. In the latter year he sold out and came to Iowa where he turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, purchasing a tract of raw prairie in Grant township Union county. For ten years he carried on general farming and in 1888 he also began dealing in coal in Shannon City, and the spring of 1889 he established a lumberyard,continuing in that department of business until the spring of 1895 in connection with his son-in-law, Mr.Wolf.

Mr. Ewing has taken a very active and prominent part in public affairs, being mayor of Shannon City for four terms, and serving either as a member of the council or as mayor from the time the town was started until the spring of 1908. He has also been a member of the school board most of that time and is now filling the position of postmaster. He has been a life-long republican, casting his first vote for Abraham Lincoln and supporting every presidential nominee of the party since that time.
He is senior past commander of Henry Damon Post, No. 473, G. A. R., the present deputy grand of the Knights of Pythias lodge; and is trustee and steward of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is regarded as one of the progressive business men and enterprising citizens of the community. He possesses keen discrimination in his business affairs together with marked energy, and in social life his genial nature and unfailing courtesy have gained him the high regard of those with whom he has been brought in contact.

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Biographical and Historical Record of Ringgold and Union Counties, 1887 Iowa, p 590

John K. Ewing

John K. Ewing, farmer and stock raiser, section 14, Grant Township, is a native of Pennsylvania, born in Perry County, October 30, 1843, a son of Clark G. Ewing. In 1846 his parents moved to LaSalle County, Illinois where the mother died in 1847, and the father in 1850. Thus, when but seven years of age, he was left an orphan with three sisters and one brother and was obliged to work for his own maintenance. After the breaking out of the war of the Rebellion, in the spring of 1861, he enlisted in Company A, First Illinois Cavalry, and served until the following fall, when his regiment was re-organized, but disbanded in July 1862. He was then at home a month, when he again enlisted and was assigned to Company F., One Hundred and Fourth Illinois Infantry, and served until June, 1865. He participated in the battles at Lexinton, Tompkinsville, Hartsville, gallatin, Brentwood, Elk River, Tullahomam Chicamauga, Chattanooga, Ringgold, Tunnel Hill, Buzzard's Roost Gap, Resaca and others of minor importance. At Lexington he a flesh wound,amd at Chicamauga he was severely wounded in the hip. At Buzzard's Roose he was with a company to cross the gap and open an attack on the enemy's battery. From Kenesaw Mountain he was sent to the rear and was detailed receiving clerk in the ordnance department of Gen.
Thomas's headquarters. In the spring of 1865 he returned to his regiment, but was subsequently detailed )))in the Assistant Adjutant General's office where he remained until the close of the war. After his discharge he returned to Illinois and in 1879 came to Iowa, and located on Section 10, Grant Township, Union County where he lived until the spring of 18__ when he moved to the farm where he now lives, which contains 160 acres of valuable land, well stocked with a fine grade of longhorn cattle and Poland-China hogs. Mr. Ewing was married February 17, 18__ to Amelia E., daughter of Hugh Alexander. They have six children, Mabel, ____, Milo, Rose, Arthur and an infant daughter. Mr.
and Mrs. Ewing are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

[A note from the contributor: I have not been able to connect my EWING family of Creston, IA, to this John K. Ewing. The possiblity is certainly there because my Ewings and this John K. were living at one time in LaSalle Co., Illinois.]