Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-05-01
HOW The TABLES WE'RE TURNED
ON THE RIRAMTRrR OWEN-

iniquity than G. G. Bowen, Congress
man from South Carolina a few years
since. In 1868 he was tried by court
martial and dismissed from the Con-
federate service on a series Of charges,
the second of which was forgery, in
changing certain dates affecting his
pay as a captain the findings being
approved by Gen. Bcauregard. Smart
ing under this disgrace, which he at
tributed to his Colonel, W. P. White,
he hired a mere STRIPPING named Eli N.
Grimes, under threats of death, to as
sassinate White. Shortly after the
close Of the war Bowen was arrested as
accessory to this murder, but Grimes
escaped from the officers Of the law by
jumping from a running train, and all
legal proceedings necessarily term
mated.
Bowen, undaunted, went into poll
tics, and soon became a shining light
among the Radicals, dexterously con-
verting the odium with which all re-
spectacle whites treated him, into so
much political capital. 1t was not
long, however, before Col L. j. Mackey,
President Of the Union League at
Charleston, openly charged him with
stealing faro checks, and ~misappro-
priating the funds of the League, be-
sides being a bigamist, an incendiary
and a robber Of dry goods" Suits
were introduced against him by Mack
ey, but he escaped in some slippery
way, and the votes Of 'tbe man and
brother" indicated his damaged repu-
talon by electing him to Congress.
Here he acquired national fame as "the
Bigamist Bowen" and congressional
inquiry developed facts which nearly
landed him in the penitentiary. A
Presidential pardon interviewed, how
ever, and, thanks to negro suffrage, he
now holds the lucrative Office of high
Sheriff Of Charleston.
Glorying in these successful esca-
pades, Bowen recently concluded to
carry the war into Africa and sued the
Charleston NsUs and Courier for libel
on eight distinct counts, the main one
being publications concerning his CON-
plicity in the assassination Of Col.
White. No doubt he thought, as sher-
if, he could pick out his own jury of
negro ~partisaus, under Radical law as
it exists in South Carolina. He must
be somewhat astounded at the result.
The libel suit resulted in a mistrial,
eleven Of the jury declaring for the
defendants and only one for the plain
tiff. But this is not the worst of it.
The telegraph informs us that Bowen
has now been arrested for instigating
the murder Of Col. White, and must
stand trial with fearful odds against
him. This sudden change in his for
tunes has been brought about by the
production Of his accomplice, Grimes,
on the witness stand in the libel suit.
The latter's confession is given by the
Macon &C. TelegrahpH, IS follows:
The deponent ran away from his
mothers house IN Mitchell county at
an early age he thinks not over seven
teen years. and married Mary Cathe-
rine Gray III or about December, 1862.
When the war opened he joined
Whites command, company d, IN the
2lst Georgia battalion of cavalry. On
Waccamaw Island Capt. Bowen, who
had been court. martiaied and cashierd
upon charges preferred by Col. White,
told the deponent that he was mad
with that officer, and determined TO be
revenged. He then, by threats and
intimidation, prevailed upon me to Kill
Col. White, saying if l refused to DO 1t
| should never see home again. l was
a poor boy and easily alarmed, but did
not wish to hurt Col White, who had
always been very kind TO me, and
therefore determined not to shoot him
if it could be avoided.
Bowen made a blind Of bushes on
the road near the camp where the Col
Onel was IN the habit Of riding every
afternoon, and loading an Army rife
told me l must lie IN Udt there and
shoot him when he passed. I told him
| didn't wish to do it, but he said |
must or ! should never see my family !
again. When I got there I took off the
lock OF the rife with my pocket knife
broke the handspring, and therefore
did not fire when the. Colonel passed
within fifteen PAGES Of me.
Il then went back to Bowen and told
him a lie when he asked me why I had
failed to shoot Col. White. l told him
l went 70 cock the gun and the main
spring broke. Bowen cursed and
abused me, and didn't believe the state
ment.
We then moved u camp about
three miles to another position on
Waccamaw Island.
Sometime afterwards Bowen told
me be was going to Charleston, and
would be back on such a day, and if /
did not kill Col. White before his re-
turn / should never see my home again.
God knows l had no intention Of harm
ing him.
Bowen told me to 20 to the window
Of his quarters and shoot his damned
head off. replied l did not want to
DO it, as Col White vas my friend and
had never injured me. He said l must
shoot him or l should not be allowed
TO live.
Before leaving he loaded another
army rifle and gave it tosme.
- took the gun and went to the win
dow and saw the Colonel leaning pack
his chair and talking to one Of his
command, and my heart failed me.
i thought then l would shoot so as
to miss MIN entirely, through the
Notwithstanding OF the house, and thus
satisfy Bowen that l had attempted
the act. God knows l did not mean to
hurt him, but be was sitting with his
legs extended and crossed. Had l
seen the position Of the Colonel's legs
the time, my aim would have been
different. / was about ten feet from
the wall Of the house when l fired, and
hit him in the knee, and then returned
to my quarters. after throwing the gun
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