John S. Bowen
Encyclopedia
John Stevens Bowen was a career United States Army
officer and a general in the Confederate States Army
, a commander in the Western Theater
of the American Civil War
. He is often said to have died just as his abilities were gaining attention.
in Athens
(UGA) in the early 1840s where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Literary Society
, but left before graduating. He later entered the United States Military Academy
in 1848, but was suspended, in March 1851, for a year. He graduated 13th of 52 cadets in the class of 1853. Among his classmates were future Confederate generals Henry B. Davidson
, John Bell Hood
, and John R. Chambliss, Jr..
He subsequently was commissioned a brevet
second lieutenant in the U.S. Mounted Rifles. He served on the frontier until resigning, in 1856, to become an architect. He became a lieutenant colonel
in the Georgia militia, but then moved to Missouri
in 1857. There he became active in the Missouri Volunteer Miltia
(MVM), and in 1861 was appointed as Lt Col commanding the MVM's Southwest Battalion, patrolling the Kansas border to protect Missourians from raids by bands of Kansas Jayhawkers.
paramilitary organization. While serving as the Colonel of the MVM's 2nd Regt and Chief of Staff to Brig. Gen.
Daniel M. Frost
on May 10, 1861, Bowen was captured at Camp Jackson by Union
Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Lyon
. As he "waited to be exchanged", he was commissioned a colonel
in the Confederate States Army on June 11, 1861, and set about recruiting for and organizing the of the 1st Missouri Infantry, CSA. He was reportedly officially exchanged on November 1, became a brigade commander, and served at Columbus, Kentucky
, under Maj. Gen.
Leonidas Polk
.
Bowen was promoted to brigadier general on March 14, 1862, and his brigade was assigned to Maj. Gen. John C. Breckinridge
's division of the Army of Mississippi
. He distinguished himself in command of his brigade at the Battle of Shiloh
. He was severely wounded in the battle and after his recovery was given a division command in John C. Pemberton
's Vicksburg, Mississippi
, garrison. Bowen was Pemberton's most trusted officer and he proved his worth at the Battle of Port Gibson
where Bowen, despite being severely outnumbered, managed to delay Ulysses S. Grant
's Army of the Tennessee
. For his stand, he was promoted to major general on May 25, 1863, although his nomination was never approved by the Confederate Congress. Pemberton and Gen. Joseph E. Johnston
failed to react quickly and Bowen's achievement turned out to be in vain. He next fought capably at the Battle of Champion Hill
. After Pemberton was bested at Champion Hill, he ordered Bowen to cover Pemberton's retreat into Vicksburg, suffering defeat at the Battle of Big Black River Bridge
on the Big Black River, Bowen's worst performance of the war. He took part in the final defense of Vicksburg but grew terribly ill. He tried to negotiate surrender with Grant, a friend from the antebellum days, but was turned away. Bowen did help ease the negotiations that lead to the July 4 surrender. After being paroled, he succumbed to dysentery
and died near Edwards, Mississippi
. He is buried in the Confederate States Army Cemetery in Vicksburg.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
officer and a general in the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
, a commander in the Western Theater
Western Theater of the American Civil War
This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.-Theater of operations:...
of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. He is often said to have died just as his abilities were gaining attention.
Early life
Bowen was born in Bowen's Creek, Georgia. He attended the University of GeorgiaUniversity of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
in Athens
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
(UGA) in the early 1840s where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Literary Society
Phi Kappa Literary Society
The Phi Kappa Literary Society is a college literary society, located at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia.The Society was founded in 1820 by Joseph Henry Lumpkin, later to become the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia and eponym for the , and by William Crabbe, Edwin...
, but left before graduating. He later entered the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
in 1848, but was suspended, in March 1851, for a year. He graduated 13th of 52 cadets in the class of 1853. Among his classmates were future Confederate generals Henry B. Davidson
Henry Brevard Davidson
Henry Brevard Davidson was a career soldier who served as an officer in the United States Army in the West and later was a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
, John Bell Hood
John Bell Hood
John Bell Hood was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Hood had a reputation for bravery and aggressiveness that sometimes bordered on recklessness...
, and John R. Chambliss, Jr..
He subsequently was commissioned a brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
second lieutenant in the U.S. Mounted Rifles. He served on the frontier until resigning, in 1856, to become an architect. He became a lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
in the Georgia militia, but then moved to Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
in 1857. There he became active in the Missouri Volunteer Miltia
Missouri State Militia (pre-Missouri State Guard)
The Missouri Volunteer Militia was the state militia organization of Missouri prior to the Missouri State Guard in the American Civil War.Prior to the Civil War, Missouri had an informal state militia that could be called up by the governor for emergencies or annual drill "in accordance with the...
(MVM), and in 1861 was appointed as Lt Col commanding the MVM's Southwest Battalion, patrolling the Kansas border to protect Missourians from raids by bands of Kansas Jayhawkers.
Civil War
In early May, 1861 Bowen was ordered to St. Louis where he took command of the new 2nd Regiment MVM, largely composed of members of the pro-secessionist MinutemenMinutemen (Missouri Secessionist Paramilitaries)
The Minutemen was a secessionist paramilitary organization in St. Louis, Missouri in the early months of 1861. Many members joined the 2nd Regiment of the Missouri Volunteer Militia, and after May 10, 1861 the Missouri State Guard or the Confederate States Army....
paramilitary organization. While serving as the Colonel of the MVM's 2nd Regt and Chief of Staff to Brig. Gen.
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Daniel M. Frost
Daniel M. Frost
Daniel Marsh Frost was an antebellum officer in the United States Army and then a brigadier general in the Missouri Volunteer Militia and the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
on May 10, 1861, Bowen was captured at Camp Jackson by Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Lyon
Nathaniel Lyon
Nathaniel Lyon was the first Union general to be killed in the American Civil War and is noted for his actions in the state of Missouri at the beginning of the conflict....
. As he "waited to be exchanged", he was commissioned a colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
in the Confederate States Army on June 11, 1861, and set about recruiting for and organizing the of the 1st Missouri Infantry, CSA. He was reportedly officially exchanged on November 1, became a brigade commander, and served at Columbus, Kentucky
Columbus, Kentucky
Columbus is a city in Hickman County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 229 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Columbus is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
, under Maj. Gen.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Leonidas Polk
Leonidas Polk
Leonidas Polk was a Confederate general in the American Civil War who was once a planter in Maury County, Tennessee, and a second cousin of President James K. Polk...
.
Bowen was promoted to brigadier general on March 14, 1862, and his brigade was assigned to Maj. Gen. John C. Breckinridge
John C. Breckinridge
John Cabell Breckinridge was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Kentucky and was the 14th Vice President of the United States , to date the youngest vice president in U.S...
's division of the Army of Mississippi
Army of Mississippi
There were three organizations known as the Army of Mississippi in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. -Army of Mississippi :This army, at times known by the names Army of the West or Army of the...
. He distinguished himself in command of his brigade at the Battle of Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
. He was severely wounded in the battle and after his recovery was given a division command in John C. Pemberton
John C. Pemberton
John Clifford Pemberton , was a career United States Army officer who fought in the Seminole Wars and with distinction during the Mexican–American War. He also served as a Confederate general during the American Civil War, noted for his defeat and surrender in the critical Siege of Vicksburg in...
's Vicksburg, Mississippi
Vicksburg, Mississippi
Vicksburg is a city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the only city in Warren County. It is located northwest of New Orleans on the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers, and due west of Jackson, the state capital. In 1900, 14,834 people lived in Vicksburg; in 1910, 20,814; in 1920,...
, garrison. Bowen was Pemberton's most trusted officer and he proved his worth at the Battle of Port Gibson
Battle of Port Gibson
The Battle of Port Gibson was fought near Port Gibson, Mississippi, on May 1, 1863, between Union and Confederate forces during the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War. The Union Army was led by Maj. Gen. Ulysses S...
where Bowen, despite being severely outnumbered, managed to delay Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
's Army of the Tennessee
Army of the Tennessee
The Army of the Tennessee was a Union army in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, named for the Tennessee River. It should not be confused with the similarly named Army of Tennessee, a Confederate army named after the State of Tennessee....
. For his stand, he was promoted to major general on May 25, 1863, although his nomination was never approved by the Confederate Congress. Pemberton and Gen. Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph Eggleston Johnston was a career U.S. Army officer, serving with distinction in the Mexican-American War and Seminole Wars, and was also one of the most senior general officers in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
failed to react quickly and Bowen's achievement turned out to be in vain. He next fought capably at the Battle of Champion Hill
Battle of Champion Hill
The Battle of Champion Hill, or Bakers Creek, fought May 16, 1863, was the pivotal battle in the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War. Union commander Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and the Army of the Tennessee pursued the retreating Confederate Lt. Gen. John C...
. After Pemberton was bested at Champion Hill, he ordered Bowen to cover Pemberton's retreat into Vicksburg, suffering defeat at the Battle of Big Black River Bridge
Battle of Big Black River Bridge
The Battle of Big Black River Bridge, or Big Black, fought May 17, 1863, was part of the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War. Union commander Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and the Army of the Tennessee pursued the retreating Confederate Lt. Gen. John C...
on the Big Black River, Bowen's worst performance of the war. He took part in the final defense of Vicksburg but grew terribly ill. He tried to negotiate surrender with Grant, a friend from the antebellum days, but was turned away. Bowen did help ease the negotiations that lead to the July 4 surrender. After being paroled, he succumbed to dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
and died near Edwards, Mississippi
Edwards, Mississippi
Edwards is a town in Hinds County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,347 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. He is buried in the Confederate States Army Cemetery in Vicksburg.
Dates of Rank
- Captain, March 1, 1861
- Lieutenant Colonel, April 15, 1861
- Colonel, June 11, 1861
- Brigadier General, March 14, 1862
- Major General, May 25, 1863
See also
- List of American Civil War generals
Further reading
- Bearss, Edwin C.Ed BearssEdwin Cole Bearss , a United States Marine Corps veteran of World War II, is a military historian and author known for his work on the American Civil War and World War II eras and is a popular tour guide of historic battlefields...
, The Vicksburg Campaign, 3 volumes, Morningside Press, 1991, ISBN 0-89029-308-2. - Tucker, Phillip Thomas, "The Forgotten 'Stonewall of the West': Major General John Stevens Bowen," Mercer University Press, 1997, ISBN 0-86554-530-8