Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-07-22
The First West Va. Legislature.
SENATI-
Sketches Personal. Political and BIZ
bid ographical. ~
JOHN b. noMEN.
BY AN oBsBRyEi

The subject OF this sketch was born in
what 10 now Wayne county. Va, on the 4th
day OF January, 1878. His parents re-
moved from Boietourt county, Va. about
fifty years ago He was raised on farm,
and having been, trained upin that way has
never departed from it; was married quite
early in life, is the father of eight children,
five of whom are girls; one of the sons is
in the National army. sa ,'.a-.oI
Mr.. Bowen has always been moral
temperate, Industrious man, aud has never
been an aspiraut for political office, though
he has acted for three successive terms as
Justice of the Peace. He was the lead
ing magistrate to take the oath of Office
and mainly instrumental in reorgauiziug
the county court of his county, under the
restored government of Virginia, since
which time he has been presiding justice.
His family were all of the democratic
faith, and in the last Presidential election
his relatives chung to Breckinridge, while
he voted for Douglas, believing that he was
national and Breckiuridge sectional. Nearly
all his connections are rebel, and of course
opposed to the new State. ra,
Almost all the leading men in Wayne
county were secessionists, and as a conse-
queuce the county has been overrun with
rebels, and the Union men have had hard
". gave something over 300 votes. About
one half of the county is loyal. Mr.. Bow
en- travelled night and day, through wet
aud cold, in RS efforts TO elect the Union
candidate to the Richmond Convention,
bat the rebel was elected by small ma
jority. ..,- ...,,. ...,.i VOW
Mr.. Bowen has lost good deal by rea-
son of the rebellion, and has at times bad
very narrow escapes from the marauders
aud thieves of Letcher, and has frequently
lain in the woods to avoid them! .-l.
BE is member of the ". E. Church, but
since the rebellion broke ont has been de-
priyed of the privileges of public religious
worship. HJ --5 .s.,. seal .fa.l..r
He has been pro-slayery in his feelings
heretofore, but has thought for years that
slavery was great evil, but not necessa.
rily sin under all circumstanCes-was op.
posed to medliug with il in any way, and
wanted to let those who owned slaves man
age them in their own way. L1a Ie1f 3
he has been a strong supporter Of the
new State, and voted for emancipation;
aud is favor of putting down,this rebellion,
if it can't be done otherwise, by destroy
ing slavery root and branch. He was elect.
ed to the Senate without Opposition. ul
Mr., Bowen is about I've feet ten orelev-
er inches high, rather sparely built, a lit
tie stoop shouldered, hair dark brown, and
pretty thin; eyes blush brown, eye ,brows
heavy and sandy eolored; face elm and
loug nose large and allittle Roman; mouth
large chin small sharp and pointed; he
wears no whiskers has a cunning inteiIiG
gent expressionof countepance; looks like
he lived we'll al, home and attended to his
own business; dresses we'll, but plainly
makes no speeches, attends well to what is
being done, and votes intelligently. Heis
member of the Committee on Education
and other committees ~ .aW ,7aHsbr