Isaac Bowman facts for kids

Isaac Bowman (born April 24, 1757 – died September 9, 1826) was an American soldier and officer in the 1700s. He fought in the American Revolutionary War and the Northwest Indian War. He was captured by the Chickasaw people and had an amazing two-year adventure before escaping and returning home from Cuba in 1782.

Isaac came from a family of brave pioneers. His brothers, Colonel John Bowman, Colonel Abraham Bowman, and Major Joseph Bowman, were also officers during the Revolutionary War. All four brothers were among the first settlers in Kentucky. Their father, George Bowman, and grandfather, Jost Hite, were important pioneers in the Colony of Virginia.

Some of Isaac Bowman's family members later became well-known. For example, Alpheus Michael Bowman was a successful businessman and politician in Virginia. Another descendant, William Irving Shuman, was a banker and assistant U.S. Treasurer in Chicago, Illinois. Euday Bowman, who composed the famous "12th Street Rag" song, was also a descendant.

Isaac Bowman's Life Story

Early Years

Isaac Bowman was the youngest child of George Bowman and Mary Hite. He grew up at Fort Bowman, also known as Harmony Hall, on Cedar Creek. This was only two miles south of what is now Strasburg. When his father died in 1768, Isaac inherited part of the family's land, including the Bowman mansion.

In the mid-1770s, Isaac went to Kentucky with his cousin Isaac Hite and his brothers Abraham, Joseph, and John. In 1775, he and thirteen other pioneers carved their names into a beech tree in Warren County, Kentucky. Isaac Bowman did not own as much land as his older brothers, probably because he was younger.

Soldier in the Revolution

In 1778, when he was 21, Isaac joined the Illinois Militia. He served as a lieutenant and quartermaster under his brother, Major Joseph Bowman, during General George Rogers Clark's Illinois campaign.

During this time, Isaac was given the job of escorting important British officials and military officers who were prisoners-of-war. He took them from Fort Vincennes to Williamsburg, Virginia. These prisoners included Governor Henry Hamilton and Philippe-François de Rocheblave. Isaac also delivered messages, including letters from his brother Joseph about the expedition's progress.

He returned to Illinois and was likely present when Fort Vincennes was captured. He also attended his brother Joseph's burial in August 1779 and paid for the services. For his service, Isaac was given 2,156 acres of land in Clark's Grant. Part of his land was later used to build Jeffersonville, Indiana, in 1802. This city eventually became the main town of Clark County.

Captured by the Chickasaw

In November 1779, after the military campaigns ended, Isaac was put in charge of a small group of settlers. He was supposed to escort them from Kaskaskia to Kentucky County. Isaac was also carrying important items for the state of Virginia, which he needed to deliver to the lieutenant governor.

For a long time, people thought Isaac had been killed while defending his group from the Chickasaw people. However, he actually survived the fight and was taken prisoner. He was treated very harshly by his captors. But eventually, he was accepted by the tribe and became an adopted son of one of their leaders. He was later chosen to marry a chief's daughter. While details are not fully known, members of the Lewis and Clark expedition met a Native American woman in 1804 who had "J. Bowman" tattooed on her arm.

Isaac eventually escaped from the Native American territory with the help of a local trader, possibly from Spain. He traveled with this trader to Cuba and then found his way back to the United States. There are different stories about how he escaped. One story says he was bought by a man named Turnbull for a barrel of whiskey and worked for him until he paid off his debt.

Later Years

After returning to Shenandoah in 1782, Isaac married Elizabeth Gatewood. They had four children together. After Elizabeth died eight years later, he married Mary Chinn and had nine more children.

Isaac settled down at the Fort Bowman estate. He became a successful farmer and landowner. In 1812 or 1813, he built a large brick mansion called Mount Pleasant on the family land. He lived there with his family until he died on September 9, 1826.

The house was located on a high bank above Cedar Creek, about two miles northeast of Strasburg. It was also less than half a mile from where he was born at Fort Bowman, which his father built in 1753. As of 1895, the house was still standing, though no one was living in it.