Richard Stoddert Ewell

Lieutenant-General Richard Stoddert Ewell

Nickname(s)	Old Bald Head Baldy
Born	(1817-02-08)February 8, 1817 Georgetown, D.C.
Died	January 25, 1872(1872-01-25) (aged 54) Spring Hill, Tennessee
Place of burial	Old City Cemetery, Nashville, Tennessee
Allegiance	United States of America Confederate States of America
Service/branch	United States Army Confederate States Army
Years of service	1840–61 (USA) 1861–65 (CSA)
Rank	Captain (USA) Lieutenant General (CSA)
Commands held	Second Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
Battles/wars	Mexican-American War Battle of Contreras Battle of Churubusco Apache Wars Bonneville Expedition American Civil War First Battle of Bull Run Valley Campaign Seven Days Battles Battle of Cedar Mountain Second Battle of Bull Run Second Battle of Winchester Battle of Gettysburg Battle of the Wilderness Battle of Spotsylvania Court House Battle of Sayler's Creek
Relations	Benjamin S. Ewell (brother) Benjamin Stoddert (grandfather)

Richard Stoddert Ewell (February 8, 1817 – January 25, 1872) was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate general during the American Civil War. He achieved fame as a senior commander under Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee and fought effectively through much of the war, but his legacy has been clouded by controversies over his actions at the Battle of Gettysburg and at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House.

Ewell was born in Georgetown, District of Columbia. He was raised in Prince William County, Virginia, from the age of 3, at an estate near Manassas known as "Stony Lonesome." He was the third son of Dr. Thomas and Elizabeth Stoddert Ewell; the grandson of Benjamin Stoddert, the first U.S. Secretary of the Navy; the grandson of Revolutionary War Colonel Jesse Ewell; and the brother of Benjamin Stoddert Ewell. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1840, thirteenth in his class of 42 cadets. He was known to his friends as "Old Bald Head" or "Baldy." He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 1st U.S. Dragoons and was promoted to first lieutenant in 1845. From 1843 to 1845 he served with Philip St. George Cooke and Stephen Watts Kearny on escort duty along the Santa Fe and Oregon Trails. In the Mexican-American War, serving under Winfield Scott, he was recognized and promoted to captain for his courage at Contreras and Churubusco. At Contreras, he conducted a nighttime reconnaissance with engineer Captain Robert E. Lee, his future commander.