Coosa County AlArchives Photo Tombstone.....McEwen, George Washington ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ronald Bridges bridgesrd@knology.net August 13, 2005, 11:22 am Cemetery: Sears Chapel Cemetery Name: George Washington McEwen Date Of Photograph: January 23, 2003 Photo can be seen at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/coosa/photos/tombstones/searschapel/mcewen1965gph.jpg Image file size: 206.4 Kb GEORGE W MCEWEN 2ND LIEUT COL CO C 53 ALA CAV OCT 22 1828 MAR 30 1901 Note the Iron Cross placed by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. He is buried by his wife Mary Catherine Sears. Additional Comments: 53rd Alabama Cavalry Regiment [Partisan Rangers] The 53rd Alabama Cavalry Regiment, Partisan Rangers, was organized by increasing the 1st Cavalry Battalion to regimental size at Montgomery on 5 November 1862. Recruits were from Autauga, Coffee, Coosa, Dale, Dallas, Lauderdale, Lowndes, Macon, Monroe, Montgomery, Pike,Tallapoosa and Wilcox counties. It proceeded in a few weeks to Mississippi. In moving from Columbus to Decatur, in Lawrence, a portion of the regiment was there equipped and proceeded to join Gen'l Earl Van Dorn. This battalion was in the fighting at Thompson's Station, and at Brentwood. The regiment was engaged in the fight with Union Gen'l Grenville Dodge at Town Creek and in the pursuit of Union Col. Abel Streight. Soon after, the 53rd joined the main army at Dalton as part of Gen'l Moses W. Hannon's Brigade, Gen'l John Kelly's Division. It operated on the right of the army as it fell back towards Atlanta and was engaged in constant duty. When Union Gen'lWilliam T. Sherman reached Atlanta, the 53rd was the principal force engaged in the daring raid in his rear, whereby a valuable train was destroyed. It was then at the heels of Sherman as he devastated Georgia and the Carolinas, and it took part in the last operations of the war in that quarter. It surrendered a small number with Gen'l Joseph E. Johnston at Durham Station, Orange County, NC, on 26 April 1865. Field and staff officers: Col. Moses W. Hannon (Montgomery; promoted); Lt. Col. John F. Gaines (Montgomery; wounded, Waynesboro); Major Thomas F. Jenkins (Wilcox; captured, near Florence); and Adjutants R. B. Snodgrass (Montgomery; wounded three times; transferred); and John Tannehill (Montgomery). It was assigned to (1) the District of the Gulf, Dept. #2 (Dec 1862); to Armstrong's Brigade, Jackson's Division, Van Dorn's Cavalry Corps, Department of MS and East LA (Feb 63) with a total of 517 effectives; (2) to Armstrong's Brigade, Van Dorn's Division, Army of Tennessee (Feb-March 63); (3) to Armstrong's Brig, Jackson's Division, Van Dorn's Cavalry Corps, Army of TN (March 63); (4) to District of Northern AL, Dept #2 (July-Aug 63); (5) to Roddey's Brigade, Wheeler's Cavalry Corps, Army of TN (Aug 63-April 64); (6) to M. W. Hannon's Brigade, Humes' Division, Wheeler's Cavalry Corps, Army of TN (April-Nov 64); (7) to Hannon's Brigade, Humes' Division, Wheeler's Cavalry Corps, Department of SC, GA, and FL (Nov 64-Jan 65); (8) to Hannon's Brigade, Allen's Division, Wheeler's Cavalry Corps, Hampton's Cavalry Command (Feb- April 65); and (9) to Hagan's Brigade, Allen's Division, Wheeler's Cavalry Corps, Hampton's Cavalry Command, Army of TN (April 65). The regiment fought in the following battles: Cherokee Station and Little Bear Creek, AL (12 Dec 62); Thompson's Station (5 March 63); Florence, AL (25 March 63); Brentwood (25 March 63); Town Creek (April 63); Streight's Raid (April-May 63); Chickamauga (19-20 Sept 63); Atlanta Campaign (May-Sept 64); Resaca (14-15 May 64); Atlanta Siege (July-Sept 64); Jonesboro (31 Aug-1 Sept 64); Carolinas Campaign (Feb-April 65) Source: Adam Henry Whetstone / History of the Fifty-Third Alabama Volunteer Infantry (Mounted) (University, AL : Confederate Publishing Co., 1985) The 53rd Alabama suffered a high number of casualties for a cavalry unit, having a reputation for not leaving the field until absolutely necessary. In addition to the many wounded listed in this site, it has been documented that 152 soldiers died of battle wounds or disease, and 99 have been documented as having been captured. The 53rd Alabama was an infantry unit. This is incorrect. The 53rd was a typical Western Theatre cavalry unit. Although they were mounted cavalry units, for some reason that has not been ascertained, the 51st, 53rd, and 56th Alabama regiments were given infantry number designations. All three of these units were always assigned with other cavalry units under cavalry command, including under Gen. Joe Wheeler. As was common in the Western Theatre of the war, cavalry was often used to supplement infantry on the flanks, and many carried 3-band infantry rifles. Three of my Great Great Grandfathers served in the 53rd Alabama Cavalry Regiment. Two of them, Andrew Jackson Miller and George Washington McEwen, served in Company C. Andrew is buried in Poplar Springs Baptist Church Cemetery, located near Hanover, Coosa Co., AL. George Washington McEwen is buried in Sears Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery, Coosa Co., AL located about a mile north of Rockford. The third one, John Eager Howard Rushing, served in Company B. He is buried in Good Hope Baptist Church Cemetery, Pike Co., AL This regiment was also referred as a mounted infantry and was also called Partisan Rangers. Ron Bridges Cemetery is located about a mile north Of Rockford File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/coosa/photos/tombstones/searschapel/mcewen1965gph.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 5.9 Kb