▁as ▁the ▁brig ade - ins pect or ▁of ▁Ohio ▁volunte ers . ▁He ▁served ▁under ▁Rose cr ans ▁and ▁McC le ll an ▁in ▁western ▁Virginia . ▁E wing ▁became ▁colon el ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 0 th ▁Ohio ▁Vol unte er ▁Infantry ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 8 6 1 . ▁ ▁In ▁November ▁ 1 8 6 1 , ▁when ▁his ▁brother - in - law ▁William ▁T . ▁Sh erman ▁was ▁rel ieved ▁of ▁his ▁command ▁in ▁dis gra ce , ▁E wing ▁a ided ▁his ▁younger ▁sister ▁Ellen ▁E wing ▁Sh erman ▁in ▁making ▁the ▁r ounds ▁of ▁Washington ▁D . C ., ▁den ying ▁sens ational ist ▁media ▁claims ▁that ▁Sh erman ▁was ▁ins ane , ▁and ▁personally ▁lo bb ying ▁the ▁President ▁for ▁Sh erman ' s ▁re inst at ement . ▁E wing ▁and ▁his ▁sister ▁argued ▁that ▁Sh erman ' s ▁requests ▁for ▁men ▁and ▁material ▁in ▁Kentucky ▁had ▁been ▁denied ▁in ▁Washington , ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁charges ▁of ▁ins an ity ▁had ▁been ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁consp i racy ▁orch estr ated ▁by ▁Ad j ut ant ▁General ▁Lorenzo ▁Thomas . ▁Event ually ▁the ▁political ▁influence ▁of ▁the ▁E wing ▁family ▁per se ver ed , ▁and ▁with ▁the ▁assistance ▁of ▁Henry ▁Halle ck , ▁Sh erman ▁was ▁returned ▁to ▁command . ▁President ▁Abraham ▁Lincoln ▁pra ised ▁Sh erman ' s ▁" tal ent ▁& ▁conduct " ▁public ly ▁to ▁a ▁large ▁group ▁of ▁important ▁officers , ▁and ▁later ▁ban ished ▁Thomas ▁to ▁a