John Atwood Ewing was born on July 7, 1845, in Delaware to parents John and May Ewing. In his early years, he lived in Penns Grove, Salem County, New Jersey. By 1850, the family had moved to Upper Penn’s Neck, New Jersey, where John and May Ewing raised their children: Rachel E., Samuel W., Martha, Joseph H., John A., and Mary Anna.
John A. Ewing served as a Private in the Union Army during the Civil War with Company D of the 38th New Jersey Infantry Regiment. He enlisted on September 24, 1865. The 38th New Jersey Infantry, led by Colonel William Joyce Sewell, was formed in 1864 and stationed at Fort Powhatan on the James River. Although the regiment saw combat only once, at Petersburg, Virginia, on November 7, 1864, Ewing later reported that he had been captured and spent three months as a prisoner in Libby Prison in Richmond.
On April 22, 1866, Ewing married Sarah Emma Angelow in Bridgeport, New Jersey. They had a daughter, Anna Jane, born around 1869. Anna Jane later married Heister S. Hunter, an engine inspector for the Reading Railroad, on September 23, 1891. They settled in Reading, Pennsylvania, and later in Philadelphia, where Anna tragically died of typhoid fever on February 20, 1907, leaving behind her husband and daughters, Helen and Ethel.
By 1878, John A. Ewing was living in Camden's Eighth Ward at 1734 Ferry Avenue, working as a core maker. In the 1880 Census, he lived with his wife Sarah and their daughter Anna and was employed as a baggage master for the Philadelphia & Atlantic City Railroad. He later moved to 1810 Broadway, where he would reside until 1922. Ewing's career evolved over the years; he worked as a carpenter by 1887, then joined John C. Dunn & Company's oilcloth factory in 1888. By July 1, 1890, he had taken on the role of houseman at Engine Company 3, a position he held until 1922.
In 1894, Ewing began working at Farr & Bailey Manufacturing Company, located at South 7th Street and Kaighn Avenue, where he remained until at least 1914. By June 1918, he had transitioned to work at a nearby Camden shipyard, likely the New York Shipbuilding Company.
Sarah Ewing passed away in 1922, after which John A. Ewing sold his Camden home and moved to Philadelphia to live with his granddaughter. He died on January 12, 1928, and was laid to rest at Harleigh Cemetery in Camden.
Related Photos
Related Articles
-
John A. Ewing
John Atwood Ewing was born on July 7, 1845, in Delaware to parents John and May Ewing. In his early years, he lived in Penns Grove, Salem County, New Jersey. By 1850, the family had moved to Upper Penn’s Neck, New Jersey, where John and May Ewing raised their children: Rachel E., Samuel W., Martha,…
Leave a Reply