BROWN COUNTY TEXAS – OBITUARY: CHARLES WILLIAM BOWDEN

Contributed by:  Debbie Walden   [no.1kicker@juno.com]

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CHARLES W. BOWDEN CONFEDERATE VETERN IS BURIED SATURDAY

Charles Winston Bowden was born near Lawrenceburg, Lawrence Co. Tenn. May 20th, 
1839, and died at 7:00 P. M. Dec.7th. at his hoe at May, Texas after an illness 
of about one week.

He enlisted at the outbreak of the Civil War with "Uncle Caleb" Davis co. E, 
Fifteenth Regiment, Polk Co. Ark. and fought for the Confederacy until his 
capture by the northern forces at Vicksburg. He enlisted May 1, just before his 
twentyfirst birthday. He served under Price in North Ark, and in Mississippi 
under Pemberton. Of the engagements he was able to recall he numbered battles at 
Corinth, Miss. Luka, Farmington, Tupalo, Rainza, Ft. Gibson, Black River, and 
was in the siege of Vicksburg, then captured and paroled, later recaptured 
whilemaking his way home, and held until the termination of the conflict. He 
still possessed his parole at the time of his death. During the battle at Ft. 
Gibson he received a slight flesh wound on the chest, but otherwise came through 
unscathed. During the siege of Vicksburg, he received a letter from home telling 
of the death of his grandfather and the division of the property and the slaves 
he was to receive. His inheritance was wiped out by the war and the economic 
struggle that followed.

After the war, on July 28, 1864, he was married to Mary Jane Austin of 
Lawrenceburg, Tenn. She was the daughter of William Young Austin, a cousin of 
Stephen F. Austin.. Her grandfather and Moses Austin were brothers. Even to the 
day she recalls having seen her great grand-father, who was also the grandfather 
of Stephen F. Austin. She has also seen two great-great-grandchildren, making 
eight generations of her family to have seen to remember.

After their marriage, they lived one year in Polk Co. Ark. and moved to 
Tennessee for five years, returning then to Arkansas for twenty years coming to 
Texas in 1890, and settling at the old home place near Owens. After living there 
until 1910 they moved to May where they spent the remaining eighteen years of 
their married life. Their next wedding anniversary, July 28, would have marked 
their 65th. year.

C. W. Bowden was a member of the Methodist Church since sixteen years of age, 
and a Master Mason since 1866, joining the Henryville Tenn. lodge. He was also a 
member of the original Ku Klux Klan that assisted in restoring normalcy in the 
South after the Civil War. Some of his Klan pharaphanalia was still in his 
possession at his death.

He is survived by his wife, Mrs. C. W. Bowden of May, Texas and the following 
children: Mrs. W. B. Branum of May, Dr. A. M. Bowden of May, Dr. H. C. Bowden of 
Rising Star, H. O. Bowden of Alvorado, N. B. Bowden of Owens, Mrs. Mattie 
Haarlowe of Los Angeles, Mrs. J.J. Printice of Ft. Worth, Mrs. K. E. Routh of 
Cement Okla.and Mrs. J. W. McAnalley of Walsenburg. Colo. Besides these children 
there remain living thirtynine grandchildren, twentyeight great great 
grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.

Burial was made at May Texas with Prisiding Elder W. H. Coleman of the Brownwood 
District conducting the service. The Masons were in charge of the burial.

This was taken from the Brownwood Bulletin printed Monday, Dec. 10, 1928