Black Soldiers in Richmond

A Story of Three Generations

The August 2024 unearthing of William C. Ewell’s broken tombstone in the historic black Woodland Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia, led to a personal project of learning his story, and in so doing revealing an unusual narrative of three generations of black soldiers during a time when serving one’s country as a black man was both heroic and challenging. Two of the three men, as it turns out, are buried in Woodland Cemetery, the other may be buried somewhere in Goochland County, likely in a lost burial ground.

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Click on the following PDF to learn more.

Black Soldiers in Richmond: A Story of Three Generations

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Following, for internet search purposes, are names of persons mentioned in the downloadable PDF, including their birth and death dates when known. Alternate spellings for Ewell: Yuell, Yowell, Euell. Maiden names of women are in bold.

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• William C. Ewell (1869-1920) (likely born in Charlotte County, Virginia)
• Delia Lawson Ewell (1842- )(likely born in Charlotte County, Virginia)
• Richard Ewell (1840- ) (likely born in Charlotte County, Virginia)
• Martha Ewell (1857- ) (likely born in Charlotte County, Virginia)
• Richard Ewell (1861- ) (likely born in Charlotte County, Virginia)
• James Henry (alt. Harry) Ewell (1863- )
• Winston Ewell (1867 – ) (likely born in Charlotte County, Virginia)
• Nancy Ewell Bland (1873 – ) (likely born in Charlotte County, Virginia)
• Thomas Ewell (1878 – ) (likely born in Charlotte County, Virginia)
• Joseph R. Daniel (from Virginia)
• George Washington Hendley (var. Henley) (1845- ) (born in Goochland County)
• Josephine (aka Willie) Hendley Ewell (1878- 1976) (born in Richmond)
• George Ewell (1900 – 1955) (born in Richmond)
• Winston Henry Ewell (1893-1940)
• Winston Henry Ewell (1926-1962)