On June 18, 1863, a group of Confederate soldiers under the command of Thomas Hines, a Confederate cavalryman and spy, crossed the Ohio River and rode to Paoli and French Lick. Hines met with Bowles, whose home was a gathering place for the Democratic Party, to inquire if Bowles could offer any support for John Hunt Morgan's upcoming raid into Indiana. Bowles told Hines he could raise a force of 10,000 to aid the raiders, but before the deal was finalized Hines was told that Union troops were approaching, forcing him to flee. As a result, there would be no support for Morgan's Raid from Bowles or his associates. The incident caused Indiana governor Oliver P. Morton to harshly treat anyone in Indiana who was publicly sympathetic to the Confederate cause.