The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1879-08-05
OHIO IN THE WAR.
General Thomas Ewing

i,cr of the N Y. Tribune:
On the 18th of September, 1862, he
recruited and organized the Eleventh
Regiment OF Ksnsas Volunteer Infantry,
Of which he was appointed Colonel. He
commanded his regiment in the battles
of Font Wayne and Cane Hill. AtPfai-'
rie Grove he had risen TO the command
of brigade, and for his gallant services
in this battle be was promoted TO be
Brigadier Genela al OF volunteers on the
-llta OF March, 1868.
In June, 1863, he was assigned to the
command Of the District OF The Border,
comprising all Of Kansas and the west
eIn tier of counties In Missouri. He now
began the work Of exterminating the
guerilla bands which infested the border
counties, and repressed, with strong
hand, the tlieving expeditions which,
through every month OF the preceding
summer, had desoIated with impunity the
villages OF that unhappy region.
In March, 1861, the District Of the
Border was abolished by the creation OF
the Department OF Kansas. By request
Of Major General Rosecrans. command.
ing the Department OF Missouri, Gene
raj Ewing was ordered 10 report to him,
and was assigned to the command OF the
S.. Louis District. .tu
On the Gath OF September, 1t having
been asceriained that General P,ce had
entered the State with large force, g leu
eral Ewing was ordered TO The post at
Pilot Knob, with Instructions TO hold it
ifpossible against any mere detachments
of the enemy, but to evacuate Is II me-
naced by Prices whole army. known to
be fifteen or twenty thousand strong. VI
At dawn on the morning of the 9th
Of Sept, mber, he commenced one OF the
most stubborn, and, for the number en-
gagged, one OF the most sanguinary con-
diets OF the war. The enemy had en-
tered the valley at Shut-in Gap,a narrow
gorge in the mountain, four and hall
miles southeast OF Pilot Knob. The
whole available force, cavalry, infantry
and artillery, garrisoning the post was
one thousand and sixty effective men
six hundred of whom we're raw troops
scarcely organized. But the advantages
of delaying the enemy few days in bis
march north ward, and of making stub
born fight before retreating, seemed 40
great, even If the defense should be On.
successful, that General Ewing resolved
to stand fast and take the chances.
I With his meager forces he immediate.
lly attacked the advancing columns ol
Price, ,aud disputed every inch of ground
between the gap and the fort. BY two
o'clock he had been forced into the
works. BY this time the enemy had
, massed two divisions on the mountair
sides, with their artillery commanding
the fort. The opening Of the battery or
the mountain was the signal for the as.
sault, and with demoniac yells at leas
sixthousand men precipitated .henselve,
upon the fort. They were met will
grape and canister from seven guns anc
an incessant fire of musketry. The enc
fmy wavered, broke and fell back, leaving
the ground .strewn with their killed ant
wounded. s'1 ~
Gen. Ewing had lost one fourth of hi
available force. He felt assured that tn
enemy would rally, and as the fort wa
untenable, he resolved, hazardous as |
was, to attempt retreat. Accordingl,
at O'clock in the morning be moved 81
lently from the fort with six 6eld pieces
two hundred and fifty cavalry, and 6v
hundred infantry. Two hours afterwart
ithe magazines exploded, a slow mattel
having been applied when the troop
left. He was holly pursued by Shelby
and Marmaduke's commands, but b
succeeded in keeping them at bay unit
he reached the southwest branch Of th
Pacific Railroad at Harrison-havin,
marched sixty six miles in thirty-nin
hours, and maintained spirited runnin
fight for twenty miles. =
At Harrison the General threw. u
rude defenses, got his guns in positio
Iduring the night, and for three day
kept at bay and repulsed several as
saults made by an enemy len times tn
number of his own. On the fourth da
be was relieved by force from Rolla,t
which place be removed his diminishe
and exhausted command. 70
i Thus closed a campaign of week Z
stubborn fighting, on q comparativel
small scale, but still rarely excelled du
ring the war. Gen. Ewing lost compal
atively few men, and no guns nor mum
sions Of. war, save those destroyed {
Pilot Knob. The enemy lost over on
thousand, flve hundred men, and, mor
than all, lost their last hope Of takin
Il St. Louis. ss3io aso + a.89 .,
!, In his official report Of this campais
, against Price in Missouri, General Rose
Grams IN expressing his thanks to his VI
! Irious subordinates, names Gen. Ewip
, first, saying: 7'
"Gen. Ewing deserves specialmentio
for military judgment, courage and ga
lantry, in holding Pilot Knob till he ha
! a certainty of the enemy's force, as we
as for the manner in which he Withdrew
his troops to Rolia. ~-5e ecfs ros;aa
And in the preceding part Of the re
lport, General Rosecrans thus describe
General Ewlng's share in the campaign
"Gen.i Ewing was sent to Pilot Kno
! with directions to use his utmost excl
}tions to fnd out whether any more tina
4 Shelby's division of Prices army was i
southeast Missouri, and to that end t
T hold Pilot Knob until he was certain
, With soldierly comprehension Of th
t importance Of his duties, while reportin
the current' runners of the advance Q
Price with his whole force, he expresse
his doubts and held his position until To
, 9th, when he sustained terrific assaul
on Fort Davidson, small field-work i
, the valley, surrounded by hills With
cannon range, which he held with abou
/ one thousand men, one-half raw troop
| establishing beyond question the pres
ence, of, all Prices command in tbs
quarter. He gloriously repulsed then
! killing and wounding some fifteen hur
j dred of the enemy, and lost only twenty
/ eight killed and fifty-six wounded. =
} Finding Marmaduke's and Fagen's Reb'
divisions before him, and his positio
commanded by numerically superie
artillery, be acted on suggestions mad
+ when was discussing with him the poi
$ sibililies Of, the position. On the nigl
l<p &Lo 4 L