John McEwen was born in Montreal Canada. He enlisted at the age of 21 and was laced in Company A. He stood 5' 9 3/4" tall, had a fair complexion and sandy colored hair. He was promoted to the rank of corporal and then sergeant. He was killed at Antietam on September 17, 1862. Sam Bloomer of Company B made the following notation in his diary on that day: "Wednesday Sept 17th We were up very early then got our coffee & about 7 oclock we fell in line, forded Antietam Creek, marched about 1 mile, formed in line of battle & advanced through fields, woods & over fences & over the field where the Battle commenced early in the morning & which field was covered with dead & wounded of both sides. At last we halted at the edge of a cornfield by a rail fence but still we were in the woods. Had not been at the fence more than 15 minutes before a most terrific fire was poured into the left of our brigade from the rear & front & which fire came quickly down the line to the right wher we were.The firing was very light for a time but I knew I had to go to the rear for I was shot in my leg just below the knee. I had just got behind a large tree when the whole line was ordered to fall back, which they did leaving me behind. The advance of the secesh soon made their appearance& passed by me but did not go a great ways further but formed their picket line about 40 rods in fron of me & shortly their line came up & formed just where our line had stood, which left me about 40 rods in front of their line. A wounded prisoner, I was let on the field all day & the shot & shells of both armies playing in or about there all day cutting off limbs of trees & tearing up the ground all around me & which made it a very dangerous place. But as luck would have it, I got through safe. By that fence my pardner Oscar Cornman was killed & one of Co A, likewise some were wounded & all the while the battle was raging terribly on our left. Secesh were quite gentlemanly toward me, but they took from me my sword which was a present to me from Lieut Muller, likewise two revolvers for which I did not care so much." The man from Co A who Bloomer referred to was Sgt John McEwen. Today Cornman and McEwen lie buried next to each other in the Antietam National Cemetery. Sources: Roster of the First Minnesota Infantry, 1910. The Stillwater Messenger, Sept 30, 1862. Family Tree Maker, CD351, Roll of Honor:Civil War Union Soldiers, Volume XV. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
