Thomas Russell Bowden
Encyclopedia
Thomas Russell Bowden served as Attorney General
of the Restored government of Virginia
from 1863 to 1865 and of Virginia
from 1865 to 1869.
Bowden was born near Williamsburg, Virginia
and attended the College of William and Mary
. During the American Civil War
he became a Republican
. In May 1863 Bowden was the Unionist candidate for attorney general of the Restored government of Virginia and won election with 2,743 votes, thus becoming the youngest attorney general of Virginia up until that time at the age of twenty-two.
Bowden sought reelection in 1869 but was defeated by James Craig Taylor in the election held on 6 July 1869. Bowden resigned as attorney general effective 1 August 1869. Until Taylor took office on 19 January 1870, Charles Wittlesey was appointed in fill the vacancy. Not long after leaving office, Bowden moved to Washington, D.C.
, where he practiced law for more than twenty years. He was the author of Blunders in Educated Circles Corrected (1889). Bowden died in Washington, D.C.
, and was buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery in Williamsburg, Virginia.
State Attorney General
The state attorney general in each of the 50 U.S. states and territories is the chief legal advisor to the state government and the state's chief law enforcement officer. In some states, the attorney general serves as the head of a state department of justice, with responsibilities similar to those...
of the Restored government of Virginia
Restored government of Virginia
The Restored Government of Virginia, or the Reorganized Government of Virginia, was the Unionist government of Virginia during the American Civil War. From 1861 until mid-1863 it met in Wheeling, and from 26 August 1863 until June 1865 it met in Alexandria...
from 1863 to 1865 and of 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...
from 1865 to 1869.
Bowden was born near Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
and attended the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
. During 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 became 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...
. In May 1863 Bowden was the Unionist candidate for attorney general of the Restored government of Virginia and won election with 2,743 votes, thus becoming the youngest attorney general of Virginia up until that time at the age of twenty-two.
Bowden sought reelection in 1869 but was defeated by James Craig Taylor in the election held on 6 July 1869. Bowden resigned as attorney general effective 1 August 1869. Until Taylor took office on 19 January 1870, Charles Wittlesey was appointed in fill the vacancy. Not long after leaving office, Bowden moved to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, where he practiced law for more than twenty years. He was the author of Blunders in Educated Circles Corrected (1889). Bowden died in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and was buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery in Williamsburg, Virginia.