The G.A.R. post at Farmer, Ohio was
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| Lewis G. Bowker - www,findagrave.com |
In the 1860 census, L. Bonker (Bowker) boarded with O. N. Foote and wife Fanny. Foote was a well to do farmer and merchant in Farmer. (His son, Newell Foote, who worked as a clerk, would be mentioned in one of Lewis's letters, as would his father, we presume, who offered to pay to send Lewis home for burial.)
Lewis's occupation was wagon maker and he was 19 years old.
The Bowker family were natives of Potsdam, St. Lawrence County, New York, and that's where Lewis was born on August 4, 1840. When he was just 20, he married Emily Elizabeth Weldon on November 3, 1861. He affectionately called her "Em" in his letter that survives to her.
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| Louie Alice Bowker - public ancestry tree |
Very soon, the young couple expected their first child. On the very day that Lewis enlisted into Company E, 111th Regiment, their baby daughter, Louisa Alice, called "Louie," was born. It was August 13, 1862. What emotions must have been rampant that day as the new father prepared to leave for the war, leaving a young wife and baby behind.
Now we must go to Lewis's own words to tell his story. Five letters of his survive in the Western Kentucky University Special Collections and copies have been obtained. All of these letters are in his hand and are written back to family and friends.
The first letter was written on August 31st, 1862, from Camp Toledo, and it was addressed to his cousin, S. (Sherman) O. Bowker, in Potsdam, New York.
1
"Dear Cousin,
Your letter reached me here at camp night before last
I was very glad to hear from you
I have written to you several times since I heard from you and had begun to think you would never write to me again, but if you will do better in future I will excuse you
I am somewhat lonesome to day as the most of folks from Farmer have gone on a short stay
They went home last night
They will have to be back Monday morning early as we are to be musterd in the first of the week
I shall wait till after we are musterd in to the service before I go home then I can stay one week if I chose.
Tell Mary that we have had visitors since we came namely Uncle Orley, Father Weldon, Mr. Snyder, Mr. Wilder
We expect Newell and his wife and Julia and John and others
Those that did come brought us some Pies, Cakes, Honey & I tell you it relished well
Well, Sherm, we are enjoying ourselves first rate now
We have good comfortable barracks and plenty to eat but it is of the plain sort.
We have a good set of boys and of course have a good time.
The worst wish I have is that we could do up all the fighting right along and have it done with and then go home notwithstanding
I think I shall enjoy camp first rate
I hold as high an office as 3d sargent (O de de de)
Aint I some on a shingle
if it had been left to the vote of the company I should had the office of Orderly but our captain appointed all the non commissioned officers and he of course favored his favorites
You spoke as though I was just married but better than that we got as nice a daughter as the country affords and one that I feel proud of
Give my love to Uncle Charles and the rest of your folks and write soon
Direct Camp Toledo care Capt. Hill
Respectfully yours L. G. Bowker"
Lewis was mustered in on September 5, 1862. The second surviving letter was dated September 17, (1862), and was directed to his friend, Hiram, "Hi," as will be the third letter. Hiram's last name is not written, so his identity remains a mystery. One possibility would be the H. Sweet who boarded with Lewis at the Foote home in 1860.
2
"Camp Wallace, Sept 17th
Friend Hiram
Please allow me to attempt to write you a few lines.
We are situated for the present about four miles from the city of Cincinnati upon a confounded big hil perhaps four hundred feet above the towns of Cincinnati and Covington and both towns are plainly seen from our camp
We can see in some directions I presume forty miles
We camped the first night about 2 miles from here
the next night about sundown we were ordered to pack up and march
We got into the present camp about nine o'clock and had a good time quartering ourselves in the dark.
The next night after we arrived where we are now we were taken out upon picket duty andhad a wide awake time of it too
About half past ten whang bang whang bang went about 30 rifles within about one mile from us
we being upon the highest ground could see the flash of the guns plain and hear the reports
You had better believe we were wide awake the rest of the night but we had nothing to do ourselves
In the skirmish our boys took 70 prisoners of Reble cavalry and they took 18 of our men
The Reble army are probably not within 15 or 20 miles from here but their pickets and ours sometimes meet
You had ought to have heard the mess that the skirmish kicked up in camp
I presume that in 30 minutes there was 40,000 men in line of battle
we were not over one mile from camp and could hear the common bugles and drums and a perfect hum of commands.
It was fall in fall in God dam it - dress up- turn out - fall in &&&&&
We have a first rate camp ground but we have poor water and not very close by
I have not found out whether you can get in or not as soon as I do
I will write to you
Rolly Crossland has gone to the hospital but is not very sick
My health is good and I hope that this will find you better
Give my respects to all the friends and answer soon.
Respectfully yours, L. G. Bowker"
3
"Bowling green, Nov. 23rd/ 62
Dear Hi
Although I have written five letters to day I will write you a few lines yet to night
I have forgotten which of us wrote last but that does not make any difference.
I will write anyhow
I heard you had been sick but I hope you are well now
I weigh 160 lbs
Can you beat that I think not
Well, Hi I am repairing government light buggies 2 1/2 in tire 3 in hounds (?) &&& weight about 77 tons
You know I always did like repairing so I am right in my element but this is better than soldiering
I have two bully good fellows to work with and I think we will enjoy ourselves first rate
we have not much lumber yet but plenty of work
we do not work hard you may bet
We use green poles for tungs and reaches
I am foreman of the shop ain't I Some
Who thought a year ago that I would be carring a buggy shop in this place
By the by how is Silvy now days
I don't know as you have seen her lately but I did not know but perhaps you might accidentely
Hi, I would like to be back working in the old shop this winter and I do believe I shall do some work there before winter is gone.
I suppose Newell goes up to Riches to get his lodging of course, yet I should think he would go to keeping house but every one to their own notion
I hope I shall be at home before long to take care of Em but I suppose she is enjoying herself very well now
Hi, this is the fifth letter I have written since dinner and I hope you will excuse me for this time for I am tired
I should like to hear from you often
I am ashamed that I don't write to Gilly but he shall be next
Respects to all. Your Truly L.G. Bowker
P.S. Direct to Bowling green Ky And not to the Regt or Company
The fourth letter went to his father, John Bowker, who apparently did run a shop of some kind in Farmer, perhaps a wagon shop or livery. We learn of Lewis's homesicknesses and the fact that sickness has overrun the camp, but had missed him so far. Another revelation was that he had not yet been paid, a problem so common in the war.
"Bowling Green KY Dec. 10th/ 62
Dear Father
I received a letter from you last week
I was glad of course to hear that you were well
Emily writes that you work quite hard and that your health is better than it has been for some time.
I think you must have your hands full to carry on in the shop and work on your house too
I hear from several sources and reliable ones too that we have a nice little girl
I suppose it must be so.
I hope I shall have the privilage of seeing for myself before long.
She may be three years old before I see her again but I cannot think otherwise than that this terrible and unnatural rebellion will be closed before spring but we must bide our time
I am satisfied that all that is required to settle it is actions
we have the material but it seems as though it was among the impossibles for the quiet of the Potomac to be disturbed.
I would like to be home with my little family and old associates and be at work in the shop.
I am still repairing army wagons
my two comrads are sick and at the hospital
I guess Sam Snyder will come and work with me
My health is good now
I was sick last week for one day only but as is usual with me it was soon over
it seems as though it was almost impossible for me to be sick
There is not over one third of our men fit for duty
Our company has come back to camp.
They came back to day
I saw mr Miller this evening
Em wrote that she was going to send some things by him but he did not bring any
I do not care about any
I can get what I want here
As soon as I draw any money I shall send it home and let you have some but I do not know how soon we will get any
We are having about such weather here now as we have in Ohio in september and October
we had one little snow of one inch deep but it soon went off
To day I was quite comfortable out doors in my shirt sleeves
they say they do not have very cold weather here
The weather is clear and warm
We have had but two or three rains since we came to Ky
That box of provisions has not arrived yet.
We had no mail to night
it is said that the carrs are to be used expressly for freight but I think we will have mail in a few(?) days
This may not leave for a day or two but I will write any how
I should like to hear from you often
Tell Em I will not write to her until sunday being I have written to the family
Tell mother Weldon I would like for her to write to me
Respectfully yours, L. G. Bowker
Direct to Box 114 Bowling Green Ky"
TO BE CONTINUED...
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