Yesteryears:Aug 25, 1991 Vol 2 No 6
Total Page:16
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=·=·=·=·:·:·:·>=·:::.: riter stru led to publish Sherman's letters By Larry Shields soap box under the eves of the house. A recent letter to the Salem News con When his father died, Ewing put the tained a tip about a new book called letters in a safe deposit box, where "Sherman At War," written by Joseph they stayed for 30 years. H. Ewing of Wheaton, MD. Ewing saw no urgency in revealing Ewing, a career soldier and military them to the public. As a combat veter~ historian married the former Jaqueline an and especially as a military histo June Van Hovel of Salem, whose sister rian, Ewing recognized history had is Gerry Sullivan, wife of Salem artist already been well laid in regards to and former syndicated cartoonist, Ed Sherman. He certainly understood the Sullivan. significance of the correspondence, So a Salem connection to this new however he chose to simply hold on to work was established through this them, letting his mind work over what unexpected letter. he would do with them in good time. Joseph H. Ewing is a New Jersey Ewing kept a lifelong interest in native, but he is the son of Neal H. Sherman, and even as he worked into Ewing, and the grandson of Philemon his Army retirement editing the "Army B. Ewing of Lancaster, Ohio. Museum Newsletter," he kept the let Philemon B. Ewing was the son of ters in the back of his mind. Sen. Thomas Ewing of Lancaster. Sen. He was historical officer at Head Ewing took in a 9-year-old boy whose quarters at the Far East Command, in father, a judge of the superior court of Tokyo and at First U.S. Army Head Ohi_o died in 1829, leaving a wife and quarters on Governors Island, N.Y. 11 children. After doing a piece on the Sherman The boy, said to be the brightest of letters for the American Heritage the lot, was William Tecumseh Sher Magazine in 1987, Ewing said he man, destined for Civil War greatness wanted to make further use of the let as a Union general and to become one ters. "I never thought about a book, so I of Ohio's most famous sons. wrote something that read to around All of this lineage makes Joseph 15,000 words, they (American Herit Ewing great-nephew of the general. age) wrote back and said they could During the Civil War, Sherman only do it if it was 10,000 and I said, 'I penned many correspondence, some to didn't want it.' " his foster father and foster brother. The publisher then told Ewing they Joseph Ewing said Sherman was a pro were, "going to get a rewrite man on lific writer and the bulk of his letters them. I thought well, hell, I'm not have been widely published and even going to have somebody rewrite my more widely studied. stuff. They were cautious in what they Untll the December 1991 publishing changed. They didn't change very date of Joseph Ewing's "Sherman At , much, they changed the lead. War," 27 letters Sherman vvTote to Sen. "And then after having done that," Ewing and Sherman's foster brother Ewing continued, "I sold the letters at before and during the Civil War, auction in New York. This 'presented a General Sherman is best remembered for saying 'War is hell.' escaped public viewing. little problem later. And after selling Years ago the letters were kept in them I split what I got with my sister ing it and it'll be sometime.' Ewing, wanting to use his letters. the attic of the house of his father, and my brother's kids. "Then later, I went to Ohio Universi Ewing told the historian he was Neal H. Ewing, in Roselle, New Jersey, "Then after that, I figured I'll some ty and they said they would like to writing a book and, "I'd be happy to let from whom he inherited them. Ewing thing about the letters, I wrote it. Kent have them," Ewing said. you have them after the book is out. recalls his father telling about the let State University wrote and said they'd Later still another historian from Then he got kind of mad about this for North Carolina, supposedly compiling ters shortly before he died in 1953. heard about it and they'd like to have Tum to next page ~ The letters were kept in a wooden my manuscript. I said, 'I'm just start- every letter Sherman wrote, contacted some reason and he contacted Mor ningside House, (Ewing's book publisher) and said in effect I have no right, nor has the publisher any right, to use these letters since they've been sold, and he (said he) got permission and copies from the owners of the let ters for his book." "I knew that he was wrong, but I couldn't put my finger on it, but I knew that I had sold the physical letters and Sen. Thomas Ewing, is the great the ink on them, but I hadn't sold the gr andfa ther of Joseph Ewing, words," Ewing explained. author of the book "Sherman At But the North Carolina historian liVar." Joseph Ewing is married to said Ewing had to have permission Jaqueline June Van Hovel of from every Sherman descendent. Salem. Sen. Thomas Ewing was "Which was absurd, of course," Ewing the foster father of Civil War Gen. observed. William Tecumseh Sherman. "Morningside said they didn't want !his Library of Congress drawing of Gen William Sherman's army enter Joesph Ewing is the great-nephew to put a lot of money in this and then m.g S~vannah, Ga. is in Joseph Ewing's book "Sherman At War," a Mor of Gen. Sherman. get found out, they didn't seem to know ningside House release on saJe for $24.95. The book features Civil War-era themselves about that. letters from the famous Union general who was born and raised in Lan know at all who or what the word is. "I called up 10, maybe more, of Sher caster, Ohio. He never used punctuation. man's relatives," Ewing continued, "all some archival conference where they sure," Ewing said, "the context of the "I had a run-in with the publisher," of '.~·horn were very happy to say it's OK could discuss it." sentence would suggest the other Ewing continued, "this is a historical V· ~ .::e them. And then I went to a Ewing said the letters do not add words," Ewing explained. thing. Historical letters as they were law.:er over in Silver Springs (MD) a any new facts of knowledge of Sher "In a sentence he would use a word written and Sherman, a hundred years copyright a.ud patent lawyer and man's life, but they do him "more to life and I'd go, 'what in the dickens is that ago, used language that's not politically correct today. Three times he spoke of expl:o ~tl l~ an to him and he said, 'Oh, size." word?' And see a word here, and see a :•'s nl · problem.' The letters were difficult to read, word here, and that must mean so-and 'niggers' and so I copied it down as it - toitl my brother I was going to go owing to Sherman's disregard for punc so and yes you could tell it was so-and- was," and the editor changed it to to L~is lawyer and he said, 'you're going tuation and capitalization. "It's terribly so. " 'blacks.' to get soaked, they'll charge you $500 hard to read them; his writing is horri There were places Ewing had to "And I said,. 'my God,' and he got for that.' Anyway, we found out that all ble. I just went about it with persis leave blank where there we;e words he pretty mad and insisted he was going that was necessary was permission of a tence, just took one letter at a time and couldn't decipher. "Tb.ere are places single person, one descendent, one heir after a time I'd be exhausted, that's for where I don't know. Where you don't Tum to next page ~ of Sherman's was all that was neces sary for approval. And I got 10. "And then somewhat later I got sent What a the bill and it was for $2,100. But it was funny," Ewing continued, "I talked. Pharmacy to two people in the Library of Con gress in the national archives, which is Was Meant To Be! the copyright department, and the man Because your last wishes there said, 'yes, you have to get permis Store Hours: 9-6 M-F, 9-1 Sat. are so important sion from the descendents.' Offering Free Delivery and "And he was a very respected person. Fast Friendly Service ~ And when I finally let them know FREE\(. ·~~ about it, they were very surprised and ----------- .~ \ lw.H<'cnrdBn"k · ,•.) \, P•~-Pla••... yo••• wanted to take this information to 1 Tll•ls you Ii!! in all \ ··,,,. • '):.t•~ ).:~~ \ Fun<>ral 011 the vit."11 infornh\lion \ '?11~~,.i1i"i 'l.\··"' >>lo 1,,f!,111011 1 your larn1ly w1ll 1wC'd , $'-i:-· _,..- ;~_..-- pruh'(t !lw 10..,h. aftcr you'n• qoih! 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