George F. Cowan

History of Montana,by Joaquin Miller, 1894
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George F. Cowan, a prominent member of the Montana bar, was 
born in Columbus Ohio, 
February 10, 1842. His ancestors were Scotch-Irish people, 
were among the early settlers 
of Canada and came from that country to New York in 1830.  The 
father of our subject, 
Ira Cowan was born in Canada, April 6, 1806, was married about 
1830 and immediately 
came to the United States.  He worked at the shoemaker's trade 
in New York a few years, 
purchased property and worked at his trade at Worthington Ohio 
until the fall of 1846 
and then located at Berlin, Green Lake County, Wisconsin.  His 
death occurred at the 
latter place, at the age of seventy-six years.  His wife is till 
living , aged eighty-
three years.  Mr. and Mrs. Cowan had eight children, six of 
whom grew to years of 
maturity and four are now living.

George F., the third child in order of birth went with his 
parents to Wisconsin when 
five years of age, and received his education in the high 
schools of Berlin.  He had 
been reading law six months when the Civil War broke out and he 
responded to the first 
call of President Lincoln, enlisting April 22, 1861 in Company 
B., Fourth Wisconsin 
Volunteer Infantry.  The company was stationed at Baltimore 
until February 1862 and 
then went with General Butler in his expedition on the Gulf.  
Mr. Cowan's regiment 
was the first to enter New Orleans after its capture.  They 
were soon afterward 
transferred to the Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry, and took part in 
all the operations of 
Generals Butler and Banks in that department.  While at Vicksburg, 
a rebel ironclad 
came down the Yazoo River, passed the fleet and landed at 
Vicksburg,  Mr. Cowan's 
command went to Baton Rouge, where they were attacked by General 
Breckenridge with a 
force of men but the fleet destroyed the ironclad and they 
repulsed Breckenridge.  
Their next campaign was on the Red River expedition, first 
against Kirby Smith, and 
then at Port Hudson.  General Gardiner sent 25,000 men to work 
against General Grant 
but General Banks came down the river and took the port.  Our 
subject's regiment had 
then become so reduced in numbers that the subject of this sketch 
with others from 
his regiment were sent to Wisconsin on recruiting service.  After 
recruiting a full 
company, Mr. Cowan returned to his regiment at Baton Rouge, 
immediately afterward 
went on the second Red River expedition and his term of service 
then expired.  He 
had served three years and three months and was mustered out of 
service as Sergeant.

Mr. Cowan remained at his home until the following spring, after 
which he made a safe 
journey across the plains to Montana, arriving in Helena in July 
1865.  He followed 
mining in various localities until the fall of 1866; in 1867 
received the appointment 
of Deputy United States Marshal; was afterward made Assistant 
Assessor of Internal 
Revenue; and in 1868 was succeeded in that position by Walter 
Trumbull, the son of 
Senator Trumbull of Illinois.  During that time our subject had 
continued his law 
studies and was appointed Clerk of the Court at Radersburgh where 
he finished his 
law reading.  In July 1872 he was admitted to the bar and is now 
the senior member 
of the law firm of Cowan and Parker, of Boulder.

August 25, 1875, Mr. Cowan was united in marriage with Miss Emma 
J. Caprenter, a native 
of Wisconsin and a daughter of Daniel D. Carpenter.  After about 
two years of married 
life, a most thrilling experience occurred to them.  In 1877 they 
went on an excursion 
to what is now Yellowstone Park, for the benefit of the wife's 
health.  Their party 
consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Cowan, her brother and sister and five 
gentlemen.  They made 
the journey in safety but while camped in the lower Geyser Basin 
early in the morning 
they were surprised and captured by Chief Joseph's band of Nez 
Perces Indians.  They 
were obliged to leave their wagon and carriage and ride their 
horses.  After traveling 
about ten miles, the Indians went into camp for dinner, a council 
was held, Mr. Cowan 
being spokesman for his party, the chief told of a fight they had 
had with the whites, 
in which many Indians were killed and they were anxious for 
revenge.  It was proposed 
that if the party would give up their horses, guns and ammunition, 
they would be set at 
liberty, and would be given some worn out horses to ride.  After 
traveling about half a 
mile, seventy-five Indians overtook them and they were commanded 
to return.  After 
going only a short distance, and while in the thick timber, the 
Indians began shooting 
at the party.  Mr. Cowan was shot through the right thigh, 
dropped from his horse and 
his wife sprang to his assistance.  At that time an Indian 
pointed a large revolver at 
his head but the wife placed herself between the husband and 
Indian and while the 
latter was trying to push her aside another shot Mr. Cowan 
near the upper part of the 
forehead.  He remained senseless util about dusk.  After 
regaining consciousness he 
raised himself by the branch of a fallen tree and seeing no one, 
supposed himself the 
only survivor of the party.  At that time an Indian who was 
sitting on his horse a 
short distance from him, fired at him, the ball passing through 
is left hip.  Mr. 
Cowan remained there until the following morning, and then 
crawled on his hands and 
knees from Friday until Wednesday without food.  After traveling 
about 10 miles in 
that way, two of General Howard's scouts found him, gave him 
food, water and a 
soldier's overcoat and laid him near the road where he would be 
found by Howard's 
command.  He was found at noon on the following day, and the 
ball was extracted from 
his head.  The wife now has the ball set in gold, as a souvenir 
of their miraculous 
escape.  The latter, with her brother and sister had been taken 
as prisoners by the 
Indians but were liberated on the following day.  She mourned 
her husband as dead for 
two weeks.  Mr. Cowan has fully recovered from his wounds and 
the fearful mental and 
bodily suffering which he endured.

Mr. and Mrs. Cowan have three children, all born in Jefferson 
County: Charles Frederick; 
George F., Jr; and Ethel May.