The Missouri in the Civil War Message Board

Re: Mysterious Confederate Captain Bowman Mother

John and Kirby,

John, I understand completely. You were merely answering my question in your customary thorough fashion. I appreciate that. I think we stopped short of attempting to tie Captain Benjamin Lee Bowman to the mysterious "Captain Bowman" who rode with Hildebrand to ensure they murdered an alleged murderer. It doesn't fit well, anyway.

Kirby, I thought as much since your notes on Chapter 26 omitted this "Captain Bowman" and any conjecture about who he really was. Like you, I suppose Hildebrand had trouble remembering the actual name and just gave it a guess. I agree that the actual Confederate officer would probably find a new home postwar rather than return to the area where he helped commit a heinous crime (probably to wreak revenge on someone who did the same). Also, Hildebrand played fast and loose with Confederate ranks in his memoir. Since, as you pointed out, Hildebrand kept no notes and wrote the memoir entirely from memory, we are fortunate as much of it matches other records as it does. Hildebrand's attempts to name Union units only from memory are problematic, too. Hildebrand committed so many very similar patrols back into SE MO that they must have gotten jumbled in his recollection, even three years after the war. Thanks for coming in on this.

I am putting all this about "Captain Bowman" back where I found it and quietly backing out of the room. I will write about other things about this expedition of Hildebrand's, but I will not attempt to identify this officer without more proof.

Bruce

Messages In This Thread

Help needed-William Coleman
Re: Help needed-William Coleman
Re: Help needed-William Coleman
Re: Help needed-William Coleman
Re: Help needed-William Coleman
Re: Death CPT Geo. Herring, 10 June 1864
Re: Death CPT Geo. Herring, 10 June 1864
Re: Death CPT Geo. Herring, 10 June 1864
Re: Death CPT Geo. Herring, 10 June 1864
Re: Death CPT Geo. Herring, 10 June 1864
Re: Death CPT Geo. Herring, 10 June 1864
Re: Death CPT Geo. Herring, 10 June 1864
Re: Death CPT Geo. Herring, 10 June 1864
Re: Death CPT Geo. Herring, 10 June 1864
Re: Death CPT Geo. Herring, 10 June 1864
Re: Death CPT Geo. Herring, 10 June 1864
Re: Death CPT Geo. Herring, 10 June 1864
Re: Death CPT Geo. Herring, 10 June 1864
Re: Death CPT Geo. Herring, 10 June 1864
Re: Mysterious Confederate Captain Bowman
Re: Mysterious Confederate Captain Bowman
Re: Mysterious Confederate Captain Bowman Father!
Re: Mysterious Confederate Captain Bowman Father!
Re: Mysterious Confederate Captain Bowman Mother
Re: Mysterious Confederate Captain Bowman Mother
Re: Mysterious Confederate Captain Bowman Mother
Re: Mysterious Confederate Captain Bowman Mother
Re: Mysterious Confederate Captain Bowman Mother
Limbaugh...related to the famous Rush..???
Re: Mysterious Confederate Captain Bowman Mother
Re: Mysterious Confederate Captain Bowman Mother
Re: Death CPT Geo. Herring, 10 June 1864
Re: Help needed-William Coleman
Re: Help needed-William Coleman
Re: Help needed-William Coleman
Re: Help needed-William Coleman