William H. Ewing
Montana GenWeb Archives 
May be copied for non-profit purposes. 
History of the State of Montana, by Joaquim Miller, 1894 

Col. William H. Ewing, a verteran of both the Seminole 
and Mexican wars and one of Montana's highly respected 
pioneers, was born in Millersburgh, Bourbon County, 
Kentucky July 11, 1818. His ancestors were early 
settlers of Virginia and Maryland and his forefathers, 
on both his paternal and maternal side, were participants 
in the Revolutionary War. Colonel Ewing's father, William 
M. Ewing, was born in Hamliton Ohio, in 1796; was married 
in 1817 to Mary Reed, a native of Pennsylvania, born in 
1799. After their marriage they resided in Kentucky for 
a time, two of their children being born there, and from 
Kentucky removed to Ohio, where two more children were 
added to their family. William M. Ewing died in Ohio in 
1824. His widow survived him unti 1852 when she passed 
away in the 53rd year of her age. 

Young Ewing was just merging into manhood when trouble 
arose with the Seminole Indians in Florida. He elisted 
for service in the war and went to the seat of action. 
He served under Colonel Zachary Taylor and Colonel Dick 
Gentry. On Christmas Day 1837, they fought the battle of 
Okechobee and whipped the Seminoles, the loss to the 
United States being sixty men. The Colonel and seven men 
were killed in Mr. Ewing's company. 

Mr. Ewing remained in Florida until October, when he 
returned north. A few years later when the trouble 
with Mexico arose, he again enlisted his services. But 
previous to this he was employed as clerk in his uncle's 
store in London, Missouri. It was in Colonel Willick's 
Battalion, Company I, that Mr. Ewing entered the ranks 
for the Mexican war, and soon afterward he received the 
appointment of Colonel's Bugler, in which capacity he 
served until after the American victory at the city of 
Mexico. He had been mustered in at Fort Leavenworth, 
Kansas and served for some time in New Mexico, where 
his term of enlistment expired and where he re-enlisted 
in Company C, Santa Fe Battalion. They continued in New 
Mexico until October of 1848 and then marched to 
Independence, Missouri, where he was mustered out in 
November, same year. He participated in the battle at 
Topuse and also the battle of Santa Cruz. 

He was with the forces that wintered on the Rio Grande and 
it was there that they received news that the city of 
Mexico was taken and hostilities ended. Before this news 
reached them, however, they had gone on forced marches to 
Santa Cruz and had captured that city. The war over, 
Colonel Ewing returned to Independce Missouri and was honorably 
discharged. 

Soon after the Mexican war the subject of our sketch 
started from Missouri across the plains to California 
and landed at Los Angeles on Christmas, 1848. He went 
to the mines at Rough and Ready, below Nevada City and 
in a short time made about $12,000. From there he went 
on the Gold Lake stampede and lost the most of his 
money. He continued to mine and trade until 1854 
when he returned to Sante Fe. The following year 
he went onto Missouri and from thereto Kansas and 
opposite the city of Leavenworth he located a tract 
of land, and on his Florida war warrant took up 
this abode upon the same and continued to live there 
several years and afterward sold for $6,000. 

In 1856 he married Rebecca B. Hill, a widow with two 
children. Her maiden name was Taylor. Of her children 
we record that Mary B, formerly the wife of David M. 
Goodwin, now Mrs. Edward Crawford, resides near her 
stepfather; Sallie L, now deceased, was the wife of 
J.W. Hopkins; and the adopted son, Phillip, lives in 
the Flathead county in Montana. 

It was in 1864 that Col. Ewing crossed the plains the 
second time, this time coming in an ox train, his 
outfit consisting of four wagons and a carriage and 
bringing his wife and son. The other children were 
left to attend school. The date of their arrival at 
Virginia City was Sept. 7, 1864. The Colonel brought 
with him a lot of goods,a part of which he sold at a 
good profit at Virginia City and the following spring 
brought the rest of his goods to Helena, where he 
disposed of them. He then engaged in the livery 
business in Helena, and from the fall of 1865 until 
1871 did a successful business. In 1871 he sold his 
horses and carriages and rented his building and the 
following year the building was burned, his loss 
being several thousand dollars. In 1868 he purchased 
a squatter's right to 320 acres of land in the Prickly 
Pear Valley, four miles north of Helena, this tract 
costing him $1500.00.

Later he purchased 160 acres more, for which he paid 
$400.00 and this latter piece of land he gave to his 
son when he became of age. In the spring of 1870 he 
rented his farm and accompanied by his wife, made a 
trip to California,remaining in the Golden State from 
July until December. Then they went East and spent the 
rest of the winter and in the spring came back to 
Montana. Although he had bought his farm in 1868, 
it was not until the spring of 1872that he moved to 
it. Here he has since resided, and his career as a 
farmer has been a successful one, his principal 
products being hay and grain, which always finds a 
ready market in Helena. In 1890 he sold 160 acres 
of his farm for $75.00 per acre and the rest he 
now rents, the income from it together with the 
interest on his money affording him a comfortable 
support. He also receives a small pension for the 
service he rendered during the Mexican War. 

Mrs. Ewing died Dec. 29. 1888. She was a most 
estimable woman, and during their early pioneer 
life as well as later years of prospiertiy she 
proved herself a helpmate in the truest sense of 
that word. Dec. 8, 1890 the Colonel married Mary E. 
Bates, his present companion, whose daughter is 
named Ester. 

Col. Ewing has never joined a church or society of any 
kind. He has been a life-long Democrat. A veteran of 
two wars, a pioneer of several States and a man who 
has traveled extensively, he has many pleasing 
reminiscences which he relates in a manner that is 
instructive as well as entertaining. Few of the 
pioneers of Montana have a larger circle of friends 
than Col. Ewing. 

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