Henry Bowen was a Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

 lawyer and politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 from Tazewell County, Virginia

Tazewell County, Virginia

As of the census of 2000, there were 44,598 people, 18,277 households and 13,232 families residing in the county. The population density was 86 people per square mile . There were 20,390 housing units at an average density of 39 per square mile...

. He served in the Virginia House of Delegates

Virginia House of Delegates

The Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbered years. The House is presided over by the Speaker of the House, who is elected from among the...

, as well as the U.S. House of Representatives.

Family and early life

Bowen was the son of Rees Bowen

Rees Bowen

Rees Tate Bowen was a nineteenth century congressman, magistrate and judge from Virginia. He was the father of Henry Bowen....

, and nephew of John Warfield Johnston. His cousin was William Bowen Campbell. He was born at "Maiden Springs," near Tazewell, Tazewell County, Virginia. He attended the public schools and Emory and Henry College

Emory and Henry College

Emory & Henry College, known as E&H, Emory, or the College, is a private liberal arts college located in Emory, Virginia, United States. The campus comprises of Washington County, Virginia, which is part of the mountain region of Southwest Virginia...

, Emory, Virginia

Emory, Virginia

Emory is a census-designated place in Washington County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,251 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Kingsport–Bristol –Bristol Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA...

. He engaged in agricultural pursuits and entered the Confederate Army in 1861 as a captain of Cavalry in Payne's brigade, Lee's division, Army of Northern Virginia, and served until December 21, 1864, when he was captured by Sheridan's cavalry at Lacy Springs, Virginia. He was released June 19, 1865. Bowen returned to his native county and resumed farming.

Political career

Bowen was elected as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1869 to 1873. In 1883, he was elected as a Readjuster

Readjuster Party

The Readjuster Party was a political coalition formed in Virginia in the late 1870s during the turbulent period following the American Civil War. Readjusters aspired "to break the power of wealth and established privilege" and to promote public education, a program which attracted biracial support....

 to the Forty-eighth Congress

48th United States Congress

The Forty-eighth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1883 to March 4, 1885, during the last two years...

, serving from March 4, 1883 to March 3, 1885. Bowen was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1884. He was elected as a Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 to the Fiftieth Congress

50th United States Congress

The Fiftieth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1887 to March 4, 1889, during the third and fourth...

, serving from March 4, 1887 to March 3, 1889. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1888 to the Fifty-first Congress.

In 1892, he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention

Republican National Convention

The Republican National Convention is the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States. Convened by the Republican National Committee, the stated purpose of the convocation is to nominate an official candidate in an upcoming U.S...

. He resumed agricultural interests and stock raising in Tazewell County, Virginia.

Death and legacy

Bowen died at his home, "Maiden Springs," in Tazewell County, April 29, 1915, and was buried in Jeffersonville Cemetery, Tazewell, Virginia

Tazewell, Virginia

Tazewell is a town in Tazewell County, Virginia, USA. The population was 4,206 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area, which has a population of 107,578. It is the county seat of Tazewell County....

.