WILLIAM BOWEN
WILLIAM BOWEN, son of John Bowen and Lily McIlhaney, was born
1742 in Fincastle County, Virginia and died 15 December 1804.
He married in 1777 to MARY HENELY RUSSELL, daughter of William
Russell and Tabitha Adams, born 1760 in Culpepper County, Virginia
and died 1827 in Gallitan, Sumner County, Tennessee.
Issue:
TABITHA BOWEN, born 1778 in Virginia and died
in Smith County, TN. She married Armpstead Moore.
JOHN H BOWEN, born 1779 in Virginia and died 25 Sep 1822 in
Gallitan. He married 1815 to Elizabeth Allen.
LEVISA BOWEN, born 1783 in Tennessee. She married 19 March 1813 to
Captian James Saunders.
CATHERINE BOWEN, born March 1785 in Gallatin and died 7 March 1868 in
Lebanon, Wilson County, TN. She married 10 April 1806 in Sumner
County to David Campbell.
WILLIAM RUSSELL BOWEN, born 1787 in Gallatin and
died 1855 in Texas. He married 5 Aug 1812 to Mary Rankin.
MARY BOWEN, died young and is buried next to her parents.
SAMUEL A BOWEN. He married Amanda W Stone.
CELIA WILSON BOWEN. She married 30 Oct 1811 in Sumner County to
Barton Warren Stone.
While Williams' father John was a remarkable man, William Bowen
is the most well documented and most impressive of all the Bowens.
His life story parallels such famous men as Daniel Boone, Patrick
Henry and Andrew Jackson. Indeed, William knew all of these men. There are 2
publications worth acquiring if you wish to know this man and his many deeds.
While I will try here to briefly cover his life and adventures, I have listed
the publications below and hope that you will try to obtain copies
for your own pleasure.
The following is exerted from "Pilcher, Cambell & Bowen".
Captian William Bowen, born in Fincastle County, (afterwards Augusta County), in 1742. He was a very active, enterprising man, and by the time he was thirty-five years of age, he had accumulated quite a handsome fortune by adding to the portion his mother had given him. He was in several campaigns in the Colonial service before the breaking out of the Revolutionary War, fighting the French and Indians. He was First Lieutenant in
Captain William Russell's company in the campaign against the Shawnee and other tribes of Indians in 1774, the confederation being commanded by Cornstalk, the noted Schem of the Shawnees.
He was in the hotly contested Battle of Point Pleasant on October 10, 1774. He was also with Russell while he was in command of Fort Randolph in 1775, and was at Kenawha when the garrison was ordered to be
disbanded by Lord Dunmore in July 1775, fearing the fort might be held by the rebel authorities. Prior to this time he was with Russell's Rangers when they assisted in
relieving the besieged fort at Watauga. The Commander-in-Chief of the forces at the Battle of Point Pleasant was General Andrew Lewis, a brother of Meriwether Lewis, the celebrated traveler and surveyor. Before the battle,
Captain Russell's company was divided into two sections, and Lt. Bowen, who commanded one-half of it, was thrown, with his men, into the thickest of the fight, having been sent forward to capture a breastwork. They became so hotly engaged that all of his men were killed or wounded but Lt Bowen and a man named Caleb Denon. As these two fell back to
Captain Archer's company, that was then coming up to their relief, Bowen threw himself into a ravine or ditch to load his gun. Just then a large Indian chief, splendidly accourtred, bolder
than his comrades, walked up to the bank of the ditch just above Bowen with his gun ready to fire. Bowen, not yet having had time to load his gun, afterwards said that he felt sure his hour had come, and closed his eyes to receive the bullet. But, fortunately, the Indian did not see him, and fired over him at Archer's men, who were just approaching. Bowen then sprang up and rushed at the chief with his tomahawk drawn, the savage at the same time drawing his for conflict. There, between the two contending forces, they were engaged in a hand-to-hand struggle, in which no quarter was asked, and none granted. As Bowen rushed at his foe, the Indian struck at him, but, throwing his head down, he dodged the blow, and the Indians tomahawk flew from his hand. Then, as Bowen drew back to strike, the Indian threw himself backward to avoid the blow, but in vain; the deadly weapon had entered his breast, almost severing him in twain. Bowen then, after the rude manner of the times, took possession of the dead chief's spear, arms, ornaments and other accourtrements as trophies. This battle was a very bloody and stubbornly contested one, lasting from early morning until the setting of the sun. In it fell Charles Lewis, a brother of General Andrew Lewis, with many other brave men who gave their lives to win this gave their lives to win this glorious country from the savages. The whites were victorious, leaving a large number of the Indians dead on the plains. William Bowen afterwards (in 1777) married a daughter of Captain William Russell, who commanded the company in which he was Lieutenant.
This is Governor Isaac Shelby's version, he was a participant in the battle, therefore knew the circumstances from personal observation.
William Bowen, at the breaking out of the Revolutionary War, was appointed to the command of a company of Virginia Volunteers, and his brother, Reece Bowen, was First Lieutenant in the same company.
Continued at a later date.
The Journey and Sojourn of the William Bowen Family of Mansker's Creek,
Anne Cato Sowell(Bowen-Campbell House Association; PO Box 781, Goodlettsville, TN
37072; 1989). Price in 1995 - $4.00.
Historical Sketches of the Cambell, Pilcher and Kindred Families, Margaret Cambeill Pilcher (Nashville: Marshall and Bruce Company, 1911)
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