Ken,

I have never heard of this story, but the only thing I could find in an internet search was a notice in an 1889 NJ paper (maybe what you saw?), that said he was a member of Morgan's Cavalry. If so, he could have been Pvt. William H. Bowen of Co. H, 5th Ky. Cav., but I have no further info on this soldier.

http://newspaperarchive.com/new-brunswick-daily-times/1889-11-01

Geoff