Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1918-02-15
IN MEMORY OF COMRADE ROB
ERT BOWMAN.

ERT BOWMAN.
ale sped thru bells of fiery hail,
With fell rcd-fury shod;
He has heard the whisper of voice.
And has looked i'm the face of God.
Death came quick to cut the bond in
twain,
Dear comrade, that sought not the
praise nor gain.
Lo! his spirit freed, from all the
earthly ills,
Has willingly submitted to Gods
will"
Comradc Bowman answered the
last roll call, on the evening of Feb
ruary 3rd, 1918. just after eating
supper complaining of not feeling
well, he retired to his room and laid
down, where n short time afterwards
he was discovered dcad-hcart fail
ure. On Saturday preceding he had
gone to mill on the Mud Fork, but
failing to get his grinding done there
he went to Tip Top for meal. and on
his return home across the noun
tains, it being late in the evening,
he got lost and bcwildcrcd i'm the
snow drifts that excluded the bride
path from observation, and did not
get home until night, losing his sack
of meal, as he led his horse thru the
drifts and was almost frozen when
he arrived home. This trip perhaps
FASTENED his death. was shocked
when learned of this old Confcd-
crate Veterans, nearly rs years of
age, either from necessity or wiling
ness, would undertake to cross the
mountains in the capacity Of mill
boy, under such unravorlblc condi-
tons, when the milling might have
been done by one of his sons and re-
lievcd the old father of his burden.
which resulted gricvously to the en-
tire family.
Comradc bowman was among the
first volunteers OF TaZcwells con
tingent 10 the Confederate armies.
He el!stod in 1861 in Capt. d. Il.
Baldwin's Company, Col. Derrick's
battalion o! Infantry and served in
the Western Virginia and VALLEY
tampaigna--alsc the march to Wash
ington, d. c. | desire to shy and |
know that | voice the opinion of all
his comrades living, and will meet
their approval, that there was no
more loyal and brave soldier serving
in any capacity, in the war between
the States. He was oftcn given po-
sitions Of honor and trust by his
commanding officer, which he faithful
| ~ filled to the satisfaction of his
commander. AS 4 Scout-a duty he
was often called to perform, he was
cautious, yet intrepid in its perform
ance, which cndeared him to his COM
rades and officers.
Born of poor but honorable paren.
tage-in the shadows of Stony noun
tam, and buried in sight of his old
| birth place. At the time of his birth
this section of TaZcwcll county was
an isolated wilderness, no means of
communicating with the outside
world, except by bride path across
the mountains. Here the bear, the
wolf, deer, and elk were found feed
ing upon the rich vinous vegetation
that grew spontaneously in this ex-
| Guided cove, surrounded by noun
tains.
Here the subject of this sketch, I'M
hampered by social environments
grew up to manhood with nature and
natures God as his instructor. Roam
ing the forests. hunting ard trap
ping the wild game and his daily
| eoinHuihhg with the God of nature
had much to do in shaping and
forming character of intrcpidity in
after life-a spirit of independence
void of ception-truthfu and hon
orable and when his country called
him to it's defense, lie made the sac
riiice cheerfully and willingly and
served faithfully to the end at Ap-
pomattoX. 1t was this character of
soldier-the man that carried the
gun, that marched with bleeding feet
thru mud, rain and snow, badly cloth
ed, fed on half rations, never COM
planning of the hardships endured
but always obedient to orders, cheer
fui and hopeful as to the final re.
suits of the war-that made, and
gave fame to generals and rewarded
them with victories.
During the war this young sol
der passed thru many beautiful. at
tractive and rich sections of his M.
tive State, which up to this time was
unknown to him, yet, the call of the
wild-thc unpretcntious cabin home
back in the mountain forest. ever
dear to memory, drew him like =
magnet--away from scenes of blood
shed and death and Virginia's beau
tiful valleys and clear sparkling