Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-07-21
The First West Va. Legislature
HOUSE OF DELEGATES.
Sketches Personal, Political and Bi.
Ographical.
GEORGE 9. BOWYER, or Pu,n.w

GEORGE q. BOwYER, OF Putnam,
George &. Bowyer, the member from
Putnam, Is native Yirginiau. lie was
born at Blue Sulphur Springs, Greeubtier
county, March, 8, 1899, and Is therefore n
little rising - years old. His ancestry on
his fathers side were German. His.fAther,
who was at one time Sherf OF dreenbrier
county, aud aiterWard United States Mar.
shal OF the Western district Of Virginia, re-.
moved from Greenbrier TO what was then
part Of KanawhA, (ereCted into Putnam in
lsl9, when he was at tender aye. His
father appears to have been wealthy, own.
Ing slaves and large bodies oil land, aud
the children, OF which George is the eldest,
were raised without work, and with every
indulgence that m unusually kind and 10.
I dulgGnt parent could grant.
George received such an education as the
schools Of the surrounding country afford.
ed, which he attended Rssiduously, and DO.
sides spent some time at school 10 Lewis.
burg. While a boy be Travelled about a
great deal with his. father, whose business
compelled him to do SO, and acquired
sort of iOudneSs for rowing. Shortly after
arriving at his majority he took IA fancy to
make trip 10 California, and did so, going
alone, by the lsthmus route After a few
months he returned, and though he kept
his health remarkably on the trip when
there was great deal OF sickuessa ali around
him, he took the lsthmus fever few DAYS
after reaching home and was III some eight
months.
Not great while after bis recovery he
married, after rather romantic courtship
he then purchased farm and turned his
attention 10 its cultivation; and although
not raised TO that or anything else 10 par.
ticuiBr, hR Is eonHIdeEod b. bic uolghbors a
good farmer He also up to the breaking
out Of the rebellion carried on mershandiE.
ing With good success.
In Nay 1861, be was elected 10 the LeRis.
lature, as the Union candidate, but like
many other Western Virginia members
elected at the same time. he had no notion
Of going 10 Richmond. lie was sz o6feio a
member Of the Convention that reorganized
the State government, but owing TO the
presence oi Wise's legion in the Kanawha
Valley he was unable 10 attend the June
session. He, however, wac on hand at the
August session, and attended each subse-
queHt session Of the Legislature. On his
: return home, be narrowly escaped capture
by the rebels. A squad bearing Of his or.
rival, went a distance Of 30 miles to take
him, and but for little circumstance not
10 the programme would probably have
succeeded. They stopped st the house oil
one OF his ueighbors who was secession.
iSt and who very naturally aud properly
bad II jug Of whisky In the house. Of
course the gang couldn't think of leaving
: as long as there was any whisky left, and
as the jug was large Que aud well filed it
took some time 10 get through with. The
D time thus lost enabled Mr.. BOwyer, who
meanwhile got hint Of what was coming
TO get out OF the way.
At the outbreak OF hOstilities, Mr.. Bow.
yer was Lieutenant Colonel Of their militia
regiment, and the Colonel being absent, be
had command. When the federal troops
first entered tue Kanawha valley be was
4 beset on every side by prominent rebels tC
call out bis regiment to resist the "inVa-
!, lion," but he put them of by one device
!. and another, and did not call il out at all
:. 1t will be remembered that be was elected
Brigadier General Of militia by the las
Legislature.
The brother next him in age, IN spit
Of all reasoning and expostulAIion, went in
TO the rebellion, and Is now q Major II
Stuart'G cavalry. He lS the only one o
- the family that caught the contagion o
ID rebellion.
y 10 politics Mr.. BOwyer has been wing
He was q KnOw.nOthing 10 &c and VoteC
for Fillmore. In go, voted for Bell and EV
erett. Ills county has always been demo
cratic, yet 10 Nay, '6l, he was elected owe
his democratic oppo oneut three TO one.-
= He being the Union candidate, this fac
speaks we'll for the Union sentiment o
Putnam county at that time, and Is corrOb
GRATED by the fact that but about 200 vote
were cast 10 the county for the ordinance o
secession. But the Union men of Putnam
= ! sadly baCkslided afterwards, rs they dit
i. In ali the counties eVer.run even for tim
~ BY the rebels. Experience soon taught then
=. that The federal troops respected their pri
is vate rights and property, whether loyal o
secesh, while the rebels respected the prop
o oi erly Of rebels and took that Of loyal mer
II being safer therefore TO be seCesh, man.
preferred safety to more honest and honor
able considerations, so that the county !
not as loyal to day as when 1t voted On th
ordinance. Mr., Bowyer's father, who wa
whig, was elected from Putnam TO on
term 10 the Legislature. Dr.John ThomP
son, another whig, was elected for the teri
preceding Mr., BowyOr's election in '6l IAN
these three are the only wings ever eleote
from Putnam county.
n Mr. Bowyer up to the breaking out
" the rebellion had always been a pro'slaver
man, and owned some Of that species {
property hlmselE. Reared and slrronnde
AZ he was Il was but natural he should b
= pro. slavery, yet like 10 thousands Of Otht
2, instances, The lessons Of the past two year
~ and half have wrought an entire chang
nm Of convictions aud feelings on the Subjec
n, m While be always felt the Institution to |
iHt morally wrong he now realizes that Il
& wrong 10 o political and economic Polt