Wendell P. Bowman (October 31, 1847 – April 8, 1928) was a major general in the

Pennsylvania National Guard The Pennsylvania National Guard is one of the oldest and largest National Guards in the United States Department of Defense. It traces its roots to 1747 when Benjamin Franklin established the Associators in Philadelphia. With more than 18,000 per ...

, and served as commander of the 28th Infantry Division.

Early life

Wendell Phillips Bowman was born in

Byberry, Pennsylvania Byberry is a neighborhood in the far Northeast Philadelphia, northeast section of Philadelphia, in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Originally it was incorporated as the Township of Byberry and was the northeasternmost municipality of Philadelphi ...

on October 31, 1847, the son of Henry Bowman and Grace (Bartine) Bowman. Bowman's father was a temperance advocate and opponent of slavery, and he named his son after the famous abolitionist

Wendell Phillips Wendell Phillips (November 29, 1811 – February 2, 1884) was an American abolitionist, labor reformer, temperance activist, advocate for Native Americans, orator, and attorney. According to George Lewis Ruffin, a black attorney, Phillip ...

. He lived at his family's home, "Cream Ridge," and was educated at the

Benjamin Rush Benjamin Rush (April 19, 1813) was an American revolutionary, a Founding Father of the United States and signatory to the U.S. Declaration of Independence, and a civic leader in Philadelphia, where he was a physician, politician, social refor ...

School and the Byberry Friends' School. He was still a boy when the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

broke out in 1861, and was too young for military service, so he became a drummer for a militia unit, the Byberry Guards. At age 15 he joined the 44th Pennsylvania Militia, which was later mustered into federal service as a unit of the

Pennsylvania Reserves The Pennsylvania Reserves were an infantry division in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Noted for its famous commanders and high casualties, it served in the Eastern Theater, and fought in many important battles, including Antieta ...

. He was a participant in the 1863

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...

, and was discharged later in 1863. In July, 1864 Bowman joined the

197th Pennsylvania Infantry The 197th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, alternately the 3rd Coal Exchange Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Union Army in the American Civil War. Raised in Philadelphia in mid-1864, the regiment was made up of Hundred Days Men ...

, and he served until November. He then joined an

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

regiment, in which he served until being discharged for ill health. Bowman was unable to walk as a result of his illness and complications caused by the harsh conditions of his service, and used crutches until he was able to begin walking unaided again in 1874. After the war Bowman studied law in the firm of George H. Earle, Sr. and Richard P. White (brother and husband of

Caroline Earle White Caroline White ( Earle; 1833–1916) was an American philanthropist and anti-vivisection activist. She co-founded the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PSPCA) in 1867, founded its women's branch (WPSPCA) in 1869, and ...

), attained admission to the bar in 1872, and practiced in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. Bowman was active in the

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (United States Navy, U.S. Navy), and the United States Marine Corps, Marines who served in the American Ci ...

, and served as Judge Advocate of the Department of Pennsylvania. He was also a sought after speech maker, and gave orations for Pennsylvania's Republican Party,

Decoration Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holidays in the United States, federal holiday in the United States for National day of mourning, mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States ...

commemorations, and other celebrations. On April 18, 1876 Bowman married Elizabeth (Lizzie) W. Malcolm (died October 26, 1929), the daughter of Baptist clergyman Thomas Shields Malcolm.

Continued career

In 1877 Bowman joined the 20th Pennsylvania Regiment, which was organized to respond to labor unrest during the

Great Railroad Strike of 1877 The Great Railroad Strike of 1877, sometimes referred to as the Great Upheaval, began on July 14 in Martinsburg, West Virginia, after the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) cut wages for the third time in a year. The Great Railroad Strike of 187 ...

. In 1878 he received a commission as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

in command of Company H, 1st Regiment,

. He advanced through the ranks to major in November 1879, and lieutenant colonel in October 1885. He became regimental commander with the rank of

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

in 1887. Bowman volunteered for the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

and his regiment was mustered into federal service in 1898. He was seriously injured when he was thrown from his horse during training at Mount Gretna on May 2, 1898, and was unable to lead the regiment when it departed Pennsylvania. As a result, command passed to his lieutenant colonel, J. Lewis Good. The war ended before the 1st Pennsylvania departed for

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

, and the regiment returned from its Tennessee encampment to Pennsylvania to be mustered out. Having recovered from his injury, Bowman resumed command after the regiment returned to Pennsylvania. In August 1907 Bowman became commander of Pennsylvania's 1st Brigade as a brigadier general. In March 1910 he became commander of the Pennsylvania National Guard Division, the organization later known as the 28th Infantry Division, and he was promoted to major general. He served until retiring in October 1910, and was succeeded by

Charles B. Dougherty Charles Bowman Dougherty (September 3, 1860 – August 1, 1924) was an officer in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. He attained the rank of major general as commander of the 28th Infantry Division. Early life Charles B. Dougherty was bor ...

. Bowman died at his home "The Elms" in

Merion Station, Pennsylvania Merion Station, also known as Merion, is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It borders Philadelphia to its west and is one of the communities that make up the Philadelphia Main Line. Merion Stat ...

on April 8, 1928, and was buried at Merion Friends Burial Ground.

References

External links

*
Wendell Phillips Bowman
in ''Pennsylvania and its Public Men''
Former Head of Penna. National Guard is Dead
in ''Harrisburg Evening News'', April 9, 1928 {{DEFAULTSORT:Bowman, Wendell P. 1847 births 1928 deaths Lawyers from Philadelphia People from Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War Union army soldiers American military personnel of the Spanish–American War Pennsylvania Republicans National Guard (United States) generals 19th-century American lawyers Grand Army of the Republic officials