Dead Man Walking

Monday night I went looking through newspaper databases for reference to Levi Bowen. I started with the 19th Century U.S. newspapers database, and entered the name “Levi Bowen” to search in Pennsylvania newspapers between 1839 and 1899. What I found is remarkable and vexing. A brief article in the North American states Bowen is listed on the Carlisle War Memorial, even though he survived the war. The article further says he was hit in the lung at the battle of “White Oaks” and left for dead. From what I know, White Oak probably means White Oak Swamp, also known as Charles City Cross Roads, or Gaines Mill. An image of the article is below.

(courtesy, 19th Century US Newspapers Database)

I did not know what to make of the part about him being from california. I went back on ancestry and searched for him in the state of california. no hits. I suspect this is just a red herring because unless Bown went to california between the end of the war and 1870 or between other censuses (certainly possible) then he never did because each census from 1860 to 1920 is from california.

Finally, I looked for an obituary or other record of Bowen’s death. I expanded the usual Ancestry search to 1940. I found an obit from 1924, listing him as being buried at the Mount Olives cemetery in Fairview township in York county PA. An internet search of this cemetery came up empty. So instead I followed the Fairview township website to a list of cemeteries. I looked through the list until I came to a Mount Olivet cemetery. Went to the website and searched there records, and there it was, Levi Andrew Bowen, born February 3 (not sure thats accurate) 1839, died September 1st 1924 at the age of 85. Considering the hardships he endured, being shot in the lung, captured twice and surviving at least 3 of the deadliest battles of the civil war, and then to live to 85 is really remarkable. Below is an image of the headstone where he and his wife are buried.

(Courtesy, findagrave.com)                                                      http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=42204603&PIpi=21691972

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