William A. Bowles facts for kids

Quick facts for kids William August Bowles
Born	1799 Frederick, Maryland, U.S.
Died	28 March 1873 (aged 73/74) French Lick, Indiana, U.S.
Occupation	Doctor, Politician

William Augustus Bowles (1799 – March 28, 1873) was a doctor, landowner, and politician from French Lick, Orange County, Indiana. He is best known for starting the first French Lick Springs Hotel, a resort with natural mineral springs, in the 1840s. He also helped plan the town of French Lick, Indiana, in 1857.

Bowles was a Democrat and served two terms in the Indiana state legislature. During the Mexican–American War, he became a colonel. He was also involved in the American Civil War, supporting the South. In 1864, Bowles was part of a famous trial in Indianapolis, where he and others were accused of plotting against the government. He was sentenced to hang, but his sentence was changed to life in prison. Later, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that his trial was unfair, and he was set free in 1866.

Early Life and Beginnings

William Augustus Bowles was born in Maryland in 1799. His parents were Isaac and Mary Bowles. He was the oldest of their ten children. His family moved several times, eventually settling in Indiana in 1818. We don't know much about where William went to school or how he became a doctor.

Family Life

Bowles was married three times. His first two marriages ended in divorce. In 1845, he married Eliza Carlin, and they had one daughter. Eliza later sued him for divorce and was awarded a large sum of money. In 1872, a year before he died, Bowles married Julia Albee. They did not have any children.

Starting His Career

In 1829, William and his brother, Thomas, moved to Orange County, Indiana. They bought nearly 1,500 acres of land in French Lick that included natural salt springs. William lived in Paoli, Indiana, and didn't immediately develop the land.

Bowles was also involved in local politics. He was a Democrat and served in the Indiana state legislature from 1838 to 1840, and again in 1843.

Building the French Lick Hotel

In the 1840s, Bowles became the first person to build and run a resort at the French Lick mineral springs. He also started selling the mineral water, which was later called "Pluto Water." The main spring at French Lick was named "Pluto’s Well" in 1869.

Around 1846, John A. Lane leased the French Lick Springs property from Bowles. Lane later bought land nearby and built the first hotel at West Baden, Indiana. This started a long-lasting competition between Bowles's hotel at French Lick and Lane's hotel at West Baden. The original hotels are gone, but new resort hotels still operate in both places today.

Military Service in the Mexican-American War

In 1846, Bowles helped create a local group of soldiers to fight in the Mexican–American War. His group joined the 2nd Indiana Volunteer Regiment. Bowles was chosen as a colonel in the regiment in August 1846.

On February 23, 1847, Bowles and his regiment fought in the Battle of Buena Vista. During the battle, Bowles ordered a sudden retreat, which caused problems for the army. Later, Jefferson Davis, who would become the president of the Confederate States of America, praised Bowles for some actions. This led to a lifelong friendship between the two men. Although there were accusations against Bowles for his actions, a military investigation cleared him of cowardice, but noted he lacked "capacity and judgment" as a commander.

Businessman and Town Founder

After his military service, Bowles returned to Paoli and continued to manage his hotel at French Lick. On May 2, 1857, Bowles officially planned out the town of French Lick. It included seventy-seven lots and public spaces for a school and other community needs.

Civil War Era and Controversies

Bowles was a strong supporter of slavery and was sympathetic to the South during the American Civil War. In 1858, he was fined for bringing enslaved people into Indiana, which was against the state's rules. In 1861, he spoke out against war with the South.

During the 1850s and early 1860s, Bowles organized local groups for the Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC), a secret society that supported the Southern cause. In 1863, he was named a major general for one of the military districts in the Order of Sons of Liberty (OSL), another secret group that opposed the war.

In June 1863, a group of Confederate soldiers met with Bowles to see if he could help John Hunt Morgan's upcoming raid into Indiana. Bowles said he could gather many men to help, but the deal fell through when Union troops approached. This incident made Indiana's governor, Oliver P. Morton, very strict with anyone in Indiana who supported the Confederacy.

The Treason Trial

In September 1864, Bowles was arrested and accused of being part of a plot against the U.S. government. He became one of the defendants in the Indianapolis treason trials, held before a military commission. Other men accused included Lambdin P. Milligan and Andrew Humphreys.

The military commission accused Bowles and his co-defendants of several things, including plotting against the government and helping the Confederates. They were accused of planning to free Confederate prisoners, get weapons, and start an uprising. Democrats argued that these arrests and trials were politically motivated.

On December 10, 1864, the commission found Bowles and others guilty. Bowles was sentenced to hang on May 19, 1865. However, after President Abraham Lincoln's assassination, President Andrew Johnson changed Bowles's sentence to life imprisonment on May 30, 1865.

=Ex parte Milligan (1866)

The case of Ex parte Milligan went to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court heard the arguments in March 1866. On April 3, 1866, the Court ruled that trying civilians by military courts is against the U.S. Constitution when regular civilian courts are still working.

The Court decided that the military commission had no right to try and sentence Bowles and the others. As a result, Bowles, Milligan, and Horsey were released from prison on April 12, 1866. This ruling set an important legal example that is still followed today.

Later Years and Death

After being released from prison, Bowles returned to Orange County, Indiana. His health got worse, and he was often confined to his home. William Augustus Bowles died on March 28, 1873, at his home in French Lick. He was buried in Ames Chapel Cemetery in Paoli. His obituary remembered him as an important early citizen and a skilled doctor in Southern Indiana.

Before his trial in 1864, Bowles had leased his French Lick Springs hotel to Doctor Samuel Ryan. In 1880, Bowles's hotel property was sold to pay off debts from his estate.

See also

• Copperheads