Lieutenant-General Richard Stoddart Ewell was born at Georgetown, D.C., February 8, 1817. He was graduated at West Point in 1840, and with promotion to a lieutenancy of dragoons served on the frontier until 1846. He went into the Mexican war as first-lieutenant of Mason's Dragoons, participated in the fighting from Vera Cruz to Chapultepec and received the brevet of captain for gallantry at Contreras and Churubusco. In 1849 he was promoted to captain, and continued in the United States service, on duty in New Mexico, until the spring of 1861, when he resigned his commission in order to tender his sword to Virginia. With the rank of lieutenant-colonel, corps of cavalry, he commanded the camp of instruction at Ashland, and was promoted brigadier-general June 17th. In command of the second brigade of the army of the Potomac under Beauregard he held the extreme right of the Confederate line during the first battle of Manassas, and after advancing in the :prearranged movement against Centerville, was recalled to reinforce the Confederate left, but was not permitted to pursue the defeated enemy. He was promoted major-general in October, 1861, and given command of a division consisting of the brigades of Elzey, Trimble and Taylor, which in the following spring became famous under his active and fearless leadership during Jackson's campaign in the valley of the Shenandoah. After Jackson had fallen back from Kernstown, Ewell was sent to his aid from before Richmond. With his division he defeated Banks at Winchester, May 25th, commanded on the field during the defeat of Fremont at Cross Keys, and during the final victory at Port Republic held Fremont in check and aided in the defeat of Tyler. As senior major-general in Jackson's command, he participated in the subsequent battles before Richmond. and was distinguished in the Manassas campaign of 1862, at the battle of Cedar Mountain, the capture of the Federal stores at Manassas Junction, and the engagement at Groveton, on the evening of August 28th, when he fell with a wound in the knee, which compelled the amputation of the leg. Thus seriously disabled, he returned to the army in May, 1863, and with promotion to the rank of lieutenant-general was assigned to the command of the Second corps of the army of Northern Virginia, succeeding Stonewall Jackson, who had fallen at Chancellorsville. He was intrusted with the important duty of dearing the Shenandoah valley of the Federals, which he executed in a brilliant manner, defeating the enemy at Brandy Station and Winchester, and occupying Harper's Ferry, capturing 4,000 prisoners and a large amount of arms and stores, with an aggregate loss of 269 men. He then advanced into Pennsylvania, and threw his advance toward Harrisburg as far as the Susquehanna river, where he received orders to return to Cashtown. On the morning of July 1st, hearing of the advance toward Gettysburg, he turned his columns in that direction, and striking the Federal forces north of the village early in the evening gallantly drove them through the town, uncovering the flank of the enemy opposed to Hill, after which the Federals fell back to the position they subsequently defended. On the second day he made a gallant attack on Culp's Hill, and renewed the fighting on the third day. On May 5, 1864, he was the first to engage with Grant's forces in the Wilderness, and after fighting stubbornly through that day, on the 6th he made a successful attack upon the Federal right wing. He bore the brunt of the terrible battle of the 12th at the "bloody angle," on the 18th severely repulsed the last Federal attack upon his position, and on the following day struck the left wing of the enemy, delaying Grant's turning movement for twenty-four hours. During the fight at Spottsylvania, General Ewell's horse was shot under him, and he was so injured by the resulting fall that he could not continue in active service on the field. He commanded the defenses of Richmond at the last, and after the evacuation, in command of his corps took part in the action at Sailor's Creek, where he was made a prisoner. For some unknown reason he was confined at Fort Warren for four months. Subsequently he made his home in Tennessee, and there passed away January 25, 1872.