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William “Swago Bill” Ewing

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William “Swago Bill” Ewing Veteran

Birth
Virginia, USA
Death
7 Oct 1822 (aged 66)
Huntington Township, Gallia County, Ohio, USA
Burial
Huntington Township, Gallia County, Ohio, USA GPS-Latitude: 39.01548, Longitude: -82.338028
Memorial ID
View Source
s/o:
James Ewing (1720-1801)
Sarah Mayes (1728-1818)
h/o:
Mary McNeil (1771-1858)
Married 16 Nov 1785 - Lewisburg, Greenbrier, West Virginia
f/o:
Elizabeth Ewing Dodrill (1787 - 1832)*
Thomas Ewing (1788 - 1874)*
Jonathan Ewing (1790 - 1850)*
William Ewing Jr. (1792 - 1847)*
James Ewing (1793 - 1824)*
John Ewing (1795-1827
Sarah Ewing (1797-1827)
Enoch Ewing (1799 - 1885)*
Jacob Ewing (1802 - 1878)*
Abraham M. Ewing (1804 - 1891)*
George A. Ewing (1807 - 1883)*
Andrew Ewing (1809 - 1885)*



10 Oct 1774 The Battle of Point Pleasant, Point Pleasant, West Virginia.
William Ewing was in the company of Col John Stewart, later the first Clerk of Greenbrier Co. Virginia. On the first pages of the Greenbrier County records, Stewart wrote a memoir in which he says "The Batle of Point Pleasant was in fact the beginning of the Revolutionary War ......"
William Ewing remained at Point Pleasant for two years as part of the garrison of Fort Randolph. See Jacob Ireason McNeil 1759 for further events there. William re-enlisted 30 Sep 1780 as a first lieutenant.

The battle of Point Pleasant was the major engagement of "Dumore's War". It was fought against Indian tribes united under the Swawnee chief Cornstalk. Foreseeing the possibility of a rebellion, it had been the policy of the British government, acting though agents in Canada, to keep the Virginia colonists busy by arming the Indians and inciting them to harass settlements in Kentucky and western Virginia. Lord Dunmore, the British Governor of Virginia 1772-1776, used his position to further this plan, and also to create mistrust between the colonists of Pennsylvania and Virginia. When the indignation of the people compelled their governor to send a force against the Indians, he took personal charge of it and split his forces, treacherously
abandoning the weaker portion and exposing it to attack.

The supposed plan was for Dunmore, leading the main body, to take a roundabout route through Fort Pill and down the Ohio River. General Andrew Lewis was to pass through Greenbrier County, gathering fighting men as
he went, and to proceed down the Kanawha River. His orders were to wait at the mouth of the Kanawha (Point Pleasant) for Dunmore's arrival. Lewis' force,numbering finally about 1500, was for the most part made up of his kinsmen, personal friends, and associates, and of friends and associates recruited by these persons. No official roster was prepared.

In fact, Dunmore did not descend the Ohio as far as Point Pleasant, but turned instead up the Hocking River, where he camped and did nothing. It was reported by various witnesses that the Shawnee chief Blue Jacket visited
Dunmore' camp on the day before the battle, and went straight from there to Point Pleasant, and that several Indians went to confer with Dunmore immediately after the battle. Dunmore is also supposed to have been overheard
to say, on the day of the battle, "Lewis is probably having hot work (worry?) about this time." (It was Blue Jacket who fractured Simon Kenton's skull with his tomahawk in 1778)

Lewis did indeed have not work, as the Indian force led personally by Cornstalk, was well matched to his own, and the outcome remained uncertain throughout a
full day of hard and bloody fighting. In the end the Colonial force prevailed, and the Indian threat was greatly reduced for the next two years. This was clearly a
pivotal event in allowing the American Revolution to begin when it did, and it made possible George Rogers Clark's conquest of the Northwest Territory during the Revolution.

Convinced that he had been betrayed, Lewis crossed the Ohio River with his force and marched on Dunmore's camp, twice disregarding orders to turn back sent by Dunmore via his messenger Simon Girty. He arrived to find Cornstalk
conferring with Dunmore, who had obviously hoped to complete a treaty without Lewis intervention. Lewis both refused to obey Dunmore's orders and refused to submit to him a report of the battle. Thus Lewis' reoort is not found in the public records of Virginia, a circumstance that has contributed to the obscurity of the events. The officers of Dunmore's force also united against him and drafted a resolution affirming their loyalty to the Colonial cause. These included Daniel Morgan, Samuel McDowell, and George Rogers Clark.

Dr. Hale reports in his "Trans Alleghenies" 1886, Lord Dunmore upon his return to Williamsburg, made report of the results of his campaign. Upon his own ex parte statement the Assembly passed a vote of thanks for his valuable
services, which they very much regretted upon learning the facts, and they later changed the name of Dunmore County, upon petition of its citizens, to that of Shenandoah."

Dunmore's character was further revealed following the Battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775 when he had all the powder stored in the Colonial magazine at Williamsburg secretly conveyed to an armed British vessel, and threatened to lay Williamsburg in ashes at the first sign og insurrection. He was finally driven from his stronghold on Guynes Island in Chesapeake Bay in 1776, General Lewis
having the pleasure of firing the first canon.

Hale further says, "There is sufficient evidence of the intention of Lord Dunmore to destroy the army of General Lewis at Point Pleasant. Had General Lewis been defeated, Virginia would have been so busy protecting the frontier she
would have been unable to participate in the revolution, and without Virginia the revolution would not have been undertaken at that time.

William Ewing was in the company of Col John Stewart, later the first Clerk of Greenbrier Co. On the first pages of the Greenbrier Co records, Stewart wrote a memoir in which he says:

"The Battle of Point Pleasant was in fact the beginning of the Revolutionary War, that obtained for our country the liberty and independence enjoyed by the United States, for it is well known that the Indians were influenced by the
British to commence the war to terrify and confound the people, before they commenced hostilities themselves the following year at Lexington. It wasthought by British politicians that to incite an Indian war would prevent a
combination of the colonies for opposing parliamentary measure to tax Americans.The blood therefore split upon the memorable battle field will long be remembered by the good people of Virginia and United States with gratitude."

The Point Pleasant Battle Monument Commission reported to the West Virginia State Board of Control in 1927, "Now happily all the patriotic historical societies not only recognize the Battle of Point Pleasant as of the Revolution, but recognize the eligibility of descent for further events there. William re-enlisted Sept 30, 1780 as a first lieutenant.

In 1810, William and Mary moved from Bath, Virginia to Gallia, Ohio.

William partipated in the War of 1812.
s/o:
James Ewing (1720-1801)
Sarah Mayes (1728-1818)
h/o:
Mary McNeil (1771-1858)
Married 16 Nov 1785 - Lewisburg, Greenbrier, West Virginia
f/o:
Elizabeth Ewing Dodrill (1787 - 1832)*
Thomas Ewing (1788 - 1874)*
Jonathan Ewing (1790 - 1850)*
William Ewing Jr. (1792 - 1847)*
James Ewing (1793 - 1824)*
John Ewing (1795-1827
Sarah Ewing (1797-1827)
Enoch Ewing (1799 - 1885)*
Jacob Ewing (1802 - 1878)*
Abraham M. Ewing (1804 - 1891)*
George A. Ewing (1807 - 1883)*
Andrew Ewing (1809 - 1885)*



10 Oct 1774 The Battle of Point Pleasant, Point Pleasant, West Virginia.
William Ewing was in the company of Col John Stewart, later the first Clerk of Greenbrier Co. Virginia. On the first pages of the Greenbrier County records, Stewart wrote a memoir in which he says "The Batle of Point Pleasant was in fact the beginning of the Revolutionary War ......"
William Ewing remained at Point Pleasant for two years as part of the garrison of Fort Randolph. See Jacob Ireason McNeil 1759 for further events there. William re-enlisted 30 Sep 1780 as a first lieutenant.

The battle of Point Pleasant was the major engagement of "Dumore's War". It was fought against Indian tribes united under the Swawnee chief Cornstalk. Foreseeing the possibility of a rebellion, it had been the policy of the British government, acting though agents in Canada, to keep the Virginia colonists busy by arming the Indians and inciting them to harass settlements in Kentucky and western Virginia. Lord Dunmore, the British Governor of Virginia 1772-1776, used his position to further this plan, and also to create mistrust between the colonists of Pennsylvania and Virginia. When the indignation of the people compelled their governor to send a force against the Indians, he took personal charge of it and split his forces, treacherously
abandoning the weaker portion and exposing it to attack.

The supposed plan was for Dunmore, leading the main body, to take a roundabout route through Fort Pill and down the Ohio River. General Andrew Lewis was to pass through Greenbrier County, gathering fighting men as
he went, and to proceed down the Kanawha River. His orders were to wait at the mouth of the Kanawha (Point Pleasant) for Dunmore's arrival. Lewis' force,numbering finally about 1500, was for the most part made up of his kinsmen, personal friends, and associates, and of friends and associates recruited by these persons. No official roster was prepared.

In fact, Dunmore did not descend the Ohio as far as Point Pleasant, but turned instead up the Hocking River, where he camped and did nothing. It was reported by various witnesses that the Shawnee chief Blue Jacket visited
Dunmore' camp on the day before the battle, and went straight from there to Point Pleasant, and that several Indians went to confer with Dunmore immediately after the battle. Dunmore is also supposed to have been overheard
to say, on the day of the battle, "Lewis is probably having hot work (worry?) about this time." (It was Blue Jacket who fractured Simon Kenton's skull with his tomahawk in 1778)

Lewis did indeed have not work, as the Indian force led personally by Cornstalk, was well matched to his own, and the outcome remained uncertain throughout a
full day of hard and bloody fighting. In the end the Colonial force prevailed, and the Indian threat was greatly reduced for the next two years. This was clearly a
pivotal event in allowing the American Revolution to begin when it did, and it made possible George Rogers Clark's conquest of the Northwest Territory during the Revolution.

Convinced that he had been betrayed, Lewis crossed the Ohio River with his force and marched on Dunmore's camp, twice disregarding orders to turn back sent by Dunmore via his messenger Simon Girty. He arrived to find Cornstalk
conferring with Dunmore, who had obviously hoped to complete a treaty without Lewis intervention. Lewis both refused to obey Dunmore's orders and refused to submit to him a report of the battle. Thus Lewis' reoort is not found in the public records of Virginia, a circumstance that has contributed to the obscurity of the events. The officers of Dunmore's force also united against him and drafted a resolution affirming their loyalty to the Colonial cause. These included Daniel Morgan, Samuel McDowell, and George Rogers Clark.

Dr. Hale reports in his "Trans Alleghenies" 1886, Lord Dunmore upon his return to Williamsburg, made report of the results of his campaign. Upon his own ex parte statement the Assembly passed a vote of thanks for his valuable
services, which they very much regretted upon learning the facts, and they later changed the name of Dunmore County, upon petition of its citizens, to that of Shenandoah."

Dunmore's character was further revealed following the Battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775 when he had all the powder stored in the Colonial magazine at Williamsburg secretly conveyed to an armed British vessel, and threatened to lay Williamsburg in ashes at the first sign og insurrection. He was finally driven from his stronghold on Guynes Island in Chesapeake Bay in 1776, General Lewis
having the pleasure of firing the first canon.

Hale further says, "There is sufficient evidence of the intention of Lord Dunmore to destroy the army of General Lewis at Point Pleasant. Had General Lewis been defeated, Virginia would have been so busy protecting the frontier she
would have been unable to participate in the revolution, and without Virginia the revolution would not have been undertaken at that time.

William Ewing was in the company of Col John Stewart, later the first Clerk of Greenbrier Co. On the first pages of the Greenbrier Co records, Stewart wrote a memoir in which he says:

"The Battle of Point Pleasant was in fact the beginning of the Revolutionary War, that obtained for our country the liberty and independence enjoyed by the United States, for it is well known that the Indians were influenced by the
British to commence the war to terrify and confound the people, before they commenced hostilities themselves the following year at Lexington. It wasthought by British politicians that to incite an Indian war would prevent a
combination of the colonies for opposing parliamentary measure to tax Americans.The blood therefore split upon the memorable battle field will long be remembered by the good people of Virginia and United States with gratitude."

The Point Pleasant Battle Monument Commission reported to the West Virginia State Board of Control in 1927, "Now happily all the patriotic historical societies not only recognize the Battle of Point Pleasant as of the Revolution, but recognize the eligibility of descent for further events there. William re-enlisted Sept 30, 1780 as a first lieutenant.

In 1810, William and Mary moved from Bath, Virginia to Gallia, Ohio.

William partipated in the War of 1812.

Inscription

Aged 66 y, 9 m, & 13 d

Gravesite Details

Ewing Cemetery - Huntington, Gallia, Ohio, USA



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