Col. Johannes "John" Bowman (17 December 1738 – May 4, 1784) was an 18th-century

American pioneer American pioneers were European American and African American settlers who migrated westward from the Thirteen Colonies and later United States to settle in and develop areas of North America that had previously been inhabited or used by Nati ...

, colonial

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

officer and

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

, the first appointed in

Lincoln County, Kentucky Lincoln County is a county located in south-central Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,275. Its county seat is Stanford. Lincoln County is part of the Danville, KY Micropolitan Statistical Area. History Lincoln County— ...

. In 1781 he also presided as a

justice of the peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

over the first

county court A county court is a court based in or with a jurisdiction covering one or more counties, which are administrative divisions (subnational entities) within a country, not to be confused with the medieval system of ''county courts'' held by the high ...

held in Kentucky. The first county-lieutenant and military governor of

Kentucky County Kentucky County (then alternately spelled Kentucke County) was formed by the Commonwealth of Virginia from the western portion (beyond the Cumberland Mountains) of Fincastle County effective December 31, 1776. The name of the county was taken ...

during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, Col. Bowman also, served in the American Revolution, many times, second in command to General

George Rogers Clark George Rogers Clark (November 19, 1752 – February 13, 1818) was an American surveyor, soldier, and militia officer from Virginia who became the highest-ranking American patriot military officer on the northwestern frontier during the Ame ...

, during the

Illinois Campaign The Illinois campaign, also known as Clark's Northwestern campaign (1778–1779), was a series of events during the American Revolutionary War in which a small force of Virginia militiamen, led by George Rogers Clark, seized control of several B ...

, which, at the time, doubled the size of the United States. He and brothers

Joseph Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...

Isaac Isaac; grc, Ἰσαάκ, Isaák; ar, إسحٰق/إسحاق, Isḥāq; am, ይስሐቅ is one of the three patriarchs of the Israelites and an important figure in the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He was the ...

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 The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

. 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 John Bryan Bowman (October 16, 1824 – September 21, 1891) was an American lawyer and educator, most notably as the founder of Kentucky University and the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky. He was the grandson of Kentucky frontie ...

, founded

Kentucky University The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a public land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky, the university is one of the state' ...

and the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky.Wayland, John W. ''A History of Shenandoah County, Virginia''. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1980. (pg. 588) He is the younger brother of

Jacob Bowman Captain (John) Jacob Bowman, Sr., (December 2, 1733 - June 20, 1781) was an 18th-century American pioneer, grandson of Jost Hite, Colonial Militia officer of Virginia Colony, veteran of the French and Indian War, City of Strasburg Trustee, large lan ...

Biography

Early life

Born to Virginia pioneer George Bowman and Mary Hite (daughter of pioneer

Jost Hite Jost is both a German given name and a surname and a Jewish (Ashkenazi) surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Jost Amman (1539–1591), Swiss * Jost Bürgi (1552–1632), Swiss clockmaker, maker of astronomical instruments ...

) on Cedar Creek in Orange later Frederick County, Virginia,Thwaites, Reuben Gold and Louise Phelps Kellogg. ''The Revolution on the Upper Ohio, 1775–1777''. Madison: Wisconsin Historical Society, 1912. (pg. 170) he is first recorded as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in the local militia in 1760. Living in

Botetourt County Botetourt County ( ) is a US county that lies in the Roanoke Region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Located in the mountainous portion of the state, the county is bordered by two major ranges, the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachian Mount ...

during the late 1760s, he was a witness to the land deed of Andrew Miller, heir-at-law of John Miller, to

Israel Christian Israel Christian (17201784) was an 18th-century American pioneer, militia officer, politician and businessman. One of the earliest landowners in Kentucky, he founded the town of Fincastle, Virginia. He was also a representative of Augusta Coun ...

for a tract of land (81 acres) in southern

Catawba Catawba may refer to: *Catawba people, a Native American tribe in the Carolinas *Catawba language, a language in the Catawban languages family *Catawban languages Botany * Catalpa, a genus of trees, based on the name used by the Catawba and other ...

later donated to build the first county courthouse and other public buildings. During that same year, he acted as an

appraiser An appraiser (from Latin ''appretiare'', "to value"), is a person that develops an opinion of the market value or other value of a product, most notably real estate. The current definition of "appraiser" according to the Uniform Standards of Prof ...

for the estate of

David Bryan David Bryan Rashbaum (born February 7, 1962) is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the keyboard player for the rock band Bon Jovi, with which he also co-wrote songs and performed backing vocals. In 2018, Bryan was inducted into ...

.Kegley, F.B. ''Kegley's Virginia Frontier: The Beginning of the Southwest, the Roanoke of Colonial Days, 1740–1783''. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. (pg. 533) In July 1768, he sold his share of the inheritance received from his father's death, of the Bowman family estate in Linvel's Creek, and settled on the Roanoke. He was later recommended a

Augusta County Augusta County is a county in the Shenandoah Valley on the western edge of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The second-largest county of Virginia by total area, it completely surrounds the independent cities of Staunton and Waynesboro. Its county ...

in June 1769 and was appointed as commissioner of Botetourt County following its official incorporation into

Virginia Colony The Colony of Virginia, chartered in 1606 and settled in 1607, was the first enduring English colonial empire, English colony in North America, following failed attempts at settlement on Newfoundland (island), Newfoundland by Sir Humphrey GilbertG ...

. 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 along

Glade Creek Glade Creek may refer to: * Glade Creek (Georgia), a stream in the US state of Georgia * Glade Creek (Idaho), a stream in Idaho * Glade Creek (Manns Creek), a tributary of Manns Creek, in its turn a New River tributary, in Fayette County, West Vir ...

and kept it as part of the Bryan estate until selling the Glade Creek claim to Esam Hannan and the rest of the estate to

Toliver Craig, Sr. Toliver Craig Sr. (born Taliaferro Craig; 1704–1795) 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 Stat ...

shortly before moving his family to Bowman's Station. He fought at the

Battle of Point Pleasant The Battle of Point Pleasant, also known as the Battle of Kanawha, was the only major action of Dunmore's War. It was fought on October 10, 1774, between the Virginia militia and Shawnee and Mingo warriors. Along the Ohio River near modern-day P ...

Soldier and frontiersman

Visiting Kentucky in 1775, he served on the safety committee at

Harrodsburg Harrodsburg is a home rule-class city in Mercer County, Kentucky, United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 9,064 at the 2020 census. Although Harrodsburg was formally established by the House of Burgesses after Boonesbor ...

the following summer and was appointed as Colonel of the Kentucky militia by Virginia Governor

Patrick Henry Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736June 6, 1799) was an American attorney, planter, politician and orator known for declaring to the Second Virginia Convention (1775): " Give me liberty, or give me death!" A Founding Father, he served as the first an ...

in the fall. The following year, Bowman was named as the first county-lieutenant of

on July 14 and, with his officers Captains Henry Pauling and

John Dunkin John Dunkin (1782–1846) was an English topographer. 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 The Holston River is a river that flows from Kingsport, Tennessee, to Knoxville, Tennessee. Along with its three major forks (North Fork, Middle Fork and South Fork), it comprises a major river system that drains much of northeastern Tennessee ...

area to Kentucky County stopping at

Boonesborough Boonesborough or Boonesboro may refer to a place in the United States: * Boonesboro, Iowa, now part of Boone, Iowa *Boonesborough, Kentucky *Boonesboro, Missouri Boonesboro is a community in Howard County, Missouri, United States. It is located o ...

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 (June 14, 1717 – November 8, 1780) was an American frontiersman, military officer, politician, and hunter who was one of the first white settlers in modern-day Kentucky. Born in Essex County, Virginia, Callaway joined Daniel B ...

, John Floyd,

John Todd John Todd or Tod may refer to: Clergy *John Todd (abolitionist) (1818–1894), preacher and 'conductor' on the Underground Railroad * John Todd (author) (1800–1873), American minister and author * John Todd (bishop), Anglican bishop in the early ...

and sheriff Benjamin Logan on September 2, 1777. During the

Illinois campaign The Illinois campaign, also known as Clark's Northwestern campaign (1778–1779), was a series of events during the American Revolutionary War in which a small force of Virginia militiamen, led by George Rogers Clark, seized control of several B ...

, he received a message from General

shortly after the capture of Kaskaskia requesting support for his planned campaign into

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

. Promising Clark at least 300 men, Bowman began gathering men and provisions during the spring of 1779.James, Alton James. ''George Rogers Clark Papers, 1771–1781''. Virginia Series, Vol. III. Springfield, Illinois: Illinois State Historical Library, 1912. (pg. cviii) Accompanied by

Benjamin Logan Benjamin Logan (May 1, 1743 – December 11, 1802) was an American pioneer, soldier, and politician from Virginia, then Shelby County, Kentucky. As colonel of the Kentucky County, Virginia militia during the American Revolutionary War, he was se ...

and

Levi Todd Levi Todd (October 4, 1756 – September 6, 1807) 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 ...

, Bowman led between 160Faust, Albert Bernhardt. ''The German Element in the United States, Vol. I''. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1909. (pg. 372) 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 over 300 horses valued at $32,000. He and his men repulsed the Shawnee as they marched two days south to meet Clark at the mouth of the Licking River. Later they participated in Clark's expedition along the Little Miami and

Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...

. Although initially blamed for not taking the Indian blockhouse, as well as the eight or ten casualties suffered, Bowman and Logan were credited with the raid at Chillicothe as a major victory for the Kentuckians. With the destruction of a major Shawnee settlement and the death of

Chief Blackfish Blackfish (c. 1729–1779) ( sjw, Cot-ta-wa-ma-go or ), was a Native American leader, war chief of the Chillicothe band of the Shawnee tribe. Biography Little is known about him, since he only appears in written historical records during the la ...

, additional Indian war parties were discouraged from moving against Kentucky colonists. According to

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

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 Col. Abraham was instrumental in the founding Bowman's Station on Cane Run in present-day

Mercer County, Kentucky Mercer County is a county located in the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,772. Its county seat is Harrodsburg. The county was formed from Lincoln County, Virginia in 1785 and is named for Revolutionar ...

. 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 then Governor

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...

and he used the settlement as his base of operations. He was often traveling to organize the defense of Kentucky County.Kleber, John E. ''The Kentucky Encyclopedia''. Louisville: University Press of Kentucky, 1992. (pg. 107-108)

Later years and death

In 1781, Bowman became the first Sheriff and County-Lieutenant of

. He also presided over the first county court held in Kentucky, when he and several others were appointed

on January 16, 1781. Benjamin Logan succeeded him as County-Lieutenant in July 1781 and Sheriff in November 1783.Lincoln County Historical Society. ''Lincoln County, Kentucky''. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Co., 2002. (pg. 16) Settling down at Bowman Station, founded by him and brother Col. Abraham Bowman, Bowman spent his last years at his home. He hired local residents to tap the

maple trees ''Acer'' () is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated since http ...

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 Bowman, Jr. built a fine brick mansion he called the Mt. Pleasant Estate, which is still standing near Ft. Bowman and his father's old station.

Biography

Early life

Soldier and frontiersman

Later years and death

References

Further reading