John Bowman (pioneer)
Encyclopedia
John Jacob Bowman was an 18th century American pioneer
, colonial militia
officer and sheriff
, the first appointed in Lincoln County, Kentucky
. In 1781 he also presided as a justice of the peace
over the first county court held in Kentucky. The first county-lieutenant and military governor of Kentucky County during the American Revolutionary War
, Bowman also served as a Colonel and was second in command under General George Rogers Clark
during the Illinois campaign.
He and brothers Joseph
, Isaac
and Abraham Bowman
were excellent horsemen and later known as the "Four Centaurs of Cedar Creek", all of whom were among the earliest pioneers to settle in Kentucky and prominent officers in the Continental Army
. He was the brother-in-law of frontiersmen Isaac Ruddell
, Lorentz Stephens, Peter Deyerle, George Wright, Henry Richardson and George Brinker. His grandnephew, Abraham's grandson John Bryan Bowman
, founded Kentucky University and the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky
.
and Mary Hite (daughter of pioneer Jost Hite) in Frederick County, Virginia
, he is first recorded as a captain in the local militia in 1760. Living in Botetourt County during the late 1760s, he was a witness to the land deed of Andrew Miller
, heir-at-law of John Miller, to Israel Christian
for a tract of land (81 acres) in southern Catawba
later donated to build the first county courthouse and other public buildings. During that same year, he acted as an appraiser
for the estate of David Bryan
.
In July 1768, he sold his share of the inheritance received from his father's death, 545 acres (2.2 km²) of the Bowman family estate in Linvel's Creek, and settled on the Roanoke
. He was later recommended a justice of the peace
in Augusta County in June 1769 and was appointed as commissioner of Botetourt County following its official incorporation into the Colony of Virginia.
Marrying Elizabeth McClung who was the widow of David Bryan and eight years his senior, he was involved in a minor legal dispute during the early 1770s over land which Bryan had directed in his will be sold to William Cox upon his death. He successfully acquired the 166 acre (0.67177876 km²) along Glade Creek
and kept it as part of the Bryan estate until selling the Clade Creek claim to Esam Hannan and the rest of the estate to Toliver Craig, Sr.
shortly before moving his family to Bowman's Station.
in the fall. The following year, Bowman was named as the first county-lieutenant of Kentucky County on July 14 and, with his officers Captains Henry Pauling and John Dunkin
, marched with two companies numbering 100 men from Holston River
area to Kentucky County stopping at Boonesborough
on August 1 and Logan's Fort on August 26 before finally arriving at Harrodsburg on September 2. Immediately after his arrival, he was elected a presiding judge in the first court of quarter sessions held at Fort Harrod and included Richard Callaway
, John Floyd
, John Todd
and sheriff Benjamin Logan on September 2, 1777.
During the Illinois campaign, he received a message from General George Rogers Clark
shortly after the capture of Kaskaskia requesting support for his planned campaign into Detroit. Promising Clark at least 300 men, Bowman began gathering men and provisions during the spring of 1779.
Accompanied by Benjamin Logan
and Levi Todd
, Bowman led between 160 and 300 militiamen against the Shawnee town of Chillicothe in late May. Dividing their forces, he and Logan attacked the camp from both sides but their forces were eventually repulsed. Unable to draw the Shawnee from their single blockhouse, Bowman burned much of the camp and left with between 30 to 300 horses valued at $32,000. He and his men marched two days north to meet Clark at the mouth of the Licking River. Later they participated in Clark's expedition along the Little Miami
and Ohio River
.
Although initially blamed for their defeat, as well as the eight or ten casualties suffered, Bowman and Logan were credited with the raid at Chilicothe as a major victory for the Kentuckians. With the destruction of a major Shawnee settlement and the death of Chief Blackfish
, additional war parties were discouraged from moving against Kentucky colonists. According to Theodore Roosevelt
in The Winning of the West, "the expedition undoubtedly accomplished more than Clark's attack on Piqua next year."
In the fall of 1779, he and his brothers founded Bowman's Station on Cane Run in present-day Mercer County, Kentucky
. Originally housing seven families during the "Hard Winter" of 1779-80, the settlement grew to thirty families during the next year. Bowman's position was reaffirmed by Governor Thomas Jefferson
and he used the settlement as his base of operations. He was often traveling to organize the defense of Kentucky County.
. He also presided over the first county court held in Kentucky, when he and several others were appointed justice of the peace
on January 16, 1781. Benjamin Logan succeeded him as county-lieutenant in July 1781 and sheriff in November 1783.
Settling down at Bowman Station founded by he and brother Abraham Bowman
, Bowman spent his last years at his home. He hired local residents to tap the maple trees on his property and sold the sugar for a substantial profit. Falling ill, Bowman died at his home on May 4, 1784. Although said to be opinionated and quick to anger, he was both admired and respected by fellow settlers for his bravery.
Following his death, his brother Abraham served as executor of his estate. In customary fashion, his widow Elizabeth McClung Bryan Bowman received one-third of his property with the remainder going towards the education of his son. John Jacob Bowman, Jr. built a brick house, which is still standing near the site of his father's old station.
American pioneer
American pioneers are any of the people in American history who migrated west to join in settling and developing new areas. The term especially refers to those who were going to settle any territory which had previously not been settled or developed by European or American society, although the...
, colonial militia
Militia (United States)
The role of militia, also known as military service and duty, in the United States is complex and has transformed over time.Spitzer, Robert J.: The Politics of Gun Control, Page 36. Chatham House Publishers, Inc., 1995. " The term militia can be used to describe any number of groups within the...
officer and sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
, the first appointed in Lincoln County, Kentucky
Lincoln County, Kentucky
Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 24,742 in the 2010 Cesus. Its county seat is Stanford. Lincoln is a prohibition or "dry county" and is part of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
. In 1781 he also presided as a justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
over the first county court held in Kentucky. The first county-lieutenant and military governor of Kentucky County during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, Bowman also served as a Colonel and was second in command under General George Rogers Clark
George Rogers Clark
George Rogers Clark was a soldier from Virginia and the highest ranking American military officer on the northwestern frontier during the American Revolutionary War. He served as leader of the Kentucky militia throughout much of the war...
during the Illinois campaign.
He and brothers Joseph
Joseph Bowman
Joseph Bowman was a Virginia militia officer during the American Revolutionary War. He was second-in-command during George Rogers Clark's famous campaign to capture the Illinois country, in which Clark and his men seized the British-controlled towns of Kaskaskia, Vincennes, and others...
, Isaac
Isaac Bowman
Isaac Bowman was an 18th-century American soldier and militia officer who took part in the American Revolutionary War and the Northwest Indian War...
and Abraham Bowman
Abraham Bowman
Colonel Abraham Bowman was an 18th century American frontiersman and American Revolutionary War military officer, who served as an officer and later commanded the 8th Virginia Regiment popularly known as the "German Regiment".He and his brothers Isaac, Joseph and John Jacob Bowman were among the...
were excellent horsemen and later known as the "Four Centaurs of Cedar Creek", all of whom were among the earliest pioneers to settle in Kentucky and prominent officers in the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
. He was the brother-in-law of frontiersmen Isaac Ruddell
Isaac Ruddell
Captain Isaac Ruddell was an 18th century American Virginia State Line officer during the American Revolutionary War and a Kentucky frontiersman. He was an officer commanding a company under BGEN George Rogers Clark . He was the founder of Ruddell's Station, one of the earliest settlements in...
, Lorentz Stephens, Peter Deyerle, George Wright, Henry Richardson and George Brinker. His grandnephew, Abraham's grandson John Bryan Bowman
John Bryan Bowman
John Bryan Bowman was a 19th-century American lawyer and educator, most notably, as the founder Kentucky University and the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky. He is the grandson of Kentucky frontiersman Abraham Bowman, as well as the grandnephew of Isaac, Joseph and John Jacob Bowman...
, founded Kentucky University and the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
.
Early life
Born to Virginia pioneer George BowmanGeorge Bowman (pioneer)
George Bowman was an 18th century American pioneer, landowner and a prominent Indian fighter in the early history of the Colony of Virginia. He, along with his father-in-law Jost Hite, was one of the first to explore and settle Shenandoah Valley...
and Mary Hite (daughter of pioneer Jost Hite) in Frederick County, Virginia
Frederick County, Virginia
Frederick County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is included in the Winchester, Virginia-West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was formed in 1743 by the splitting of Orange County. For ten years it was the home of George Washington. As of 2010, the population was...
, he is first recorded as a captain in the local militia in 1760. Living in Botetourt County during the late 1760s, he was a witness to the land deed of Andrew Miller
Andrew Miller
-Sports:* Andrew Miller , pitcher for the Boston Red Sox* Andrew Miller , cricketer for Oxford University and Middlesex* Andrew Miller , Canadian professional ice hockey player...
, heir-at-law of John Miller, to Israel Christian
Israel Christian
Israel Christian was an 18th century American pioneer, militia officer, politician and businessman. One of the earliest landowners in Kentucky, he founded the town of Fincastle, Kentucky. Christiansburg, Virginia, the county seat of Montgomery County, was also named in his honor...
for a tract of land (81 acres) in southern Catawba
Catawba
Catawba may refer to several things:*Catawba , a Native American tribe*Catawban languages-Botany:*Catalpa, a genus of trees, based on the name used by the Catawba and other Native American tribes*Catawba , a variety of grape...
later donated to build the first county courthouse and other public buildings. During that same year, he acted as an appraiser
Appraiser
An appraiser , is one who sets a value upon property, real or personal. In England the business of an appraiser is usually combined with that of an auctioneer, while the word itself has a similar meaning to that of "valuer." In the United States, the most common usage relates to real estate...
for the estate of David Bryan
David Bryan
David Bryan is the keyboard player of the band rock classic, Bon Jovi. Bryan also sings backing vocals and often at live shows sings part of or the whole of the song "In These Arms", one of a handful of Bon Jovi songs credited to him as songwriter...
.
In July 1768, he sold his share of the inheritance received from his father's death, 545 acres (2.2 km²) of the Bowman family estate in Linvel's Creek, and settled on the Roanoke
Roanoke River
The Roanoke River is a river in southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States, 410 mi long. A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of the coastal plain from the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains southeast across the Piedmont...
. He was later recommended a justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
in Augusta County in June 1769 and was appointed as commissioner of Botetourt County following its official incorporation into the Colony of Virginia.
Marrying Elizabeth McClung who was the widow of David Bryan and eight years his senior, he was involved in a minor legal dispute during the early 1770s over land which Bryan had directed in his will be sold to William Cox upon his death. He successfully acquired the 166 acre (0.67177876 km²) along Glade Creek
Glade Creek
Glade Creek may refer to:* Glade Creek in Fayette County, West Virginia, a tributary of Manns Creek, a New River tributary**Glade Creek Grist Mill in Babcock State Park is on this stream....
and kept it as part of the Bryan estate until selling the Clade Creek claim to Esam Hannan and the rest of the estate to Toliver Craig, Sr.
Toliver Craig, Sr.
Toliver Craig, Sr., first called Taliaferro Craig, was an 18th-century American frontiersman and militia officer. An early settler and landowner near present-day Lexington, Kentucky, he was one of the defenders of the early fort of Bryan's Station during the American Revolutionary War. It was...
shortly before moving his family to Bowman's Station.
Soldier and frontiersman
Visiting Kentucky in 1775, he served on the safety committee at Harrodsburg the following summer and was appointed as colonel of the Kentucky militia by Virginia Governor Patrick HenryPatrick Henry
Patrick Henry was an orator and politician who led the movement for independence in Virginia in the 1770s. A Founding Father, he served as the first and sixth post-colonial Governor of Virginia from 1776 to 1779 and subsequently, from 1784 to 1786...
in the fall. The following year, Bowman was named as the first county-lieutenant of Kentucky County on July 14 and, with his officers Captains Henry Pauling and John Dunkin
John Dunkin
-Life:He was the son of John Dunkin of Bicester, Oxfordshire, by his wife, Elizabeth, widow of John Telford, and daughter of Thomas and Johanna Timms, was born at Bicester on 16 May 1782....
, marched with two companies numbering 100 men from Holston River
Holston River
The Holston River is a major river system of southwestern Virginia and east Tennessee. The three major forks of the Holston rise in southwestern Virginia and have their confluence near Kingsport, Tennessee. The North Fork flows southwest from Sharon Springs in Bland County, Virginia...
area to Kentucky County stopping at Boonesborough
Boonesborough, Kentucky
Boonesborough is an unincorporated community in Madison County, Kentucky, United States. It lies in the central part of the state along the Kentucky River. Boonesborough is part of the Richmond–Berea Micropolitan Statistical Area....
on August 1 and Logan's Fort on August 26 before finally arriving at Harrodsburg on September 2. Immediately after his arrival, he was elected a presiding judge in the first court of quarter sessions held at Fort Harrod and included Richard Callaway
Richard Callaway
Richard Callaway was an early settler of Kentucky. Born in Caroline County, Virginia, Callaway joined Daniel Boone in 1775 in marking the Wilderness Road into central Kentucky, becoming one of the founders of Boonesborough, Kentucky...
, John Floyd
James John Floyd
James John Floyd , better known as John Floyd, was a pioneer of the Midwestern United States around the Louisville, Kentucky area where he worked as a surveyor for land development and as a military figure. Floyd was an early settler of St. Matthews, Kentucky and helped lay out Louisville...
, John Todd
John Todd (Virginia)
John Todd was a frontier military officer during the American Revolutionary War and the first administrator of the Illinois County of the U.S...
and sheriff Benjamin Logan on September 2, 1777.
During the Illinois campaign, he received a message from General George Rogers Clark
George Rogers Clark
George Rogers Clark was a soldier from Virginia and the highest ranking American military officer on the northwestern frontier during the American Revolutionary War. He served as leader of the Kentucky militia throughout much of the war...
shortly after the capture of Kaskaskia requesting support for his planned campaign into Detroit. Promising Clark at least 300 men, Bowman began gathering men and provisions during the spring of 1779.
Accompanied by Benjamin Logan
Benjamin Logan
Benjamin Logan was an American pioneer, soldier, and politician from Shelby County, Kentucky. As colonel of the Kentucky County militia of Virginia during the American Revolutionary War, he was second-in-command of militia in Kentucky. Logan was a leader in Kentucky's efforts to become a state...
and Levi Todd
Levi Todd
Levi Todd was an 18th century American pioneer who, with his brothers John and Robert Todd, helped found present-day Lexington, Kentucky and were leading prominent landowners and statesmen in the state of Kentucky prior to its admission into the United States in 1792.He was also the grandfather of...
, Bowman led between 160 and 300 militiamen against the Shawnee town of Chillicothe in late May. Dividing their forces, he and Logan attacked the camp from both sides but their forces were eventually repulsed. Unable to draw the Shawnee from their single blockhouse, Bowman burned much of the camp and left with between 30 to 300 horses valued at $32,000. He and his men marched two days north to meet Clark at the mouth of the Licking River. Later they participated in Clark's expedition along the Little Miami
Little Miami River
The Little Miami River is a Class I tributary of the Ohio River that flows through five counties in southwestern Ohio in the United States. The Little Miami joins the Ohio River east of Cincinnati. It forms parts of the borders between Hamilton and Clermont counties and between Hamilton and Warren...
and Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
.
Although initially blamed for their defeat, as well as the eight or ten casualties suffered, Bowman and Logan were credited with the raid at Chilicothe as a major victory for the Kentuckians. With the destruction of a major Shawnee settlement and the death of Chief Blackfish
Chief Blackfish
Blackfish , known in his native tongue as Cot-ta-wa-ma-go or Mkah-day-way-may-qua, was a Native American leader, war chief of the Chillicothe division of the Shawnee tribe.-Biography:...
, additional war parties were discouraged from moving against Kentucky colonists. According to Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
in The Winning of the West, "the expedition undoubtedly accomplished more than Clark's attack on Piqua next year."
In the fall of 1779, he and his brothers founded Bowman's Station on Cane Run in present-day Mercer County, Kentucky
Mercer County, Kentucky
Mercer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 20,817. Its county seat is Harrodsburg. The county is named for General Hugh Mercer...
. Originally housing seven families during the "Hard Winter" of 1779-80, the settlement grew to thirty families during the next year. Bowman's position was reaffirmed by Governor Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
and he used the settlement as his base of operations. He was often traveling to organize the defense of Kentucky County.
Later years
In 1781, Bowman became the first sheriff and county-lieutenant of Lincoln County, KentuckyLincoln County, Kentucky
Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 24,742 in the 2010 Cesus. Its county seat is Stanford. Lincoln is a prohibition or "dry county" and is part of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
. He also presided over the first county court held in Kentucky, when he and several others were appointed justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
on January 16, 1781. Benjamin Logan succeeded him as county-lieutenant in July 1781 and sheriff in November 1783.
Settling down at Bowman Station founded by he and brother Abraham Bowman
Abraham Bowman
Colonel Abraham Bowman was an 18th century American frontiersman and American Revolutionary War military officer, who served as an officer and later commanded the 8th Virginia Regiment popularly known as the "German Regiment".He and his brothers Isaac, Joseph and John Jacob Bowman were among the...
, Bowman spent his last years at his home. He hired local residents to tap the maple trees on his property and sold the sugar for a substantial profit. Falling ill, Bowman died at his home on May 4, 1784. Although said to be opinionated and quick to anger, he was both admired and respected by fellow settlers for his bravery.
Following his death, his brother Abraham served as executor of his estate. In customary fashion, his widow Elizabeth McClung Bryan Bowman received one-third of his property with the remainder going towards the education of his son. John Jacob Bowman, Jr. built a brick house, which is still standing near the site of his father's old station.
Further reading
- Butler, Mann. A History of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: From Its Exploration and Settlement by the Whites, to the Close of the Northwest Campaign, in 1813. Cincinnati: J.A. James & Co., 1836.
- Clark, Thomas D. A History of Kentucky. New York: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1937.
- Cotterill, Robert S. History of Pioneer Kentucky. Cincinnati: Johnson & Hardin, 1917.
- Giles, Janice Holt. The Kentuckians. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1987.
- Rice, Otis K. Frontier Kentucky. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1975.
- Sanchez-Saavedra, E.M. A Guide to Virginia Military Organizations in the American Revolution, 1774-1787. Richmond: Virginia State Library, 1978.
- Wayland, John W. The Bowmans: A Pioneering Family in Virginia, Kentucky and the Northwest Territory. Staunton, Virginia: McClure Co., 1943.
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- I thought John's brother Abraham married Sarah(Henry)Bryan?
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