This is a letter that the man who first raised the American flag over present-day Alabama in 1799 wrote to the Secretary of War appealing for some sort of pension after he was involuntarily retired from the U.S. Army after the end of THE WAR OF 1812. As far as I know, I am the first person who ever either transcribed this letter or put it on the Internet.During
the War of 1812, the American fort at Mobile Point on the eastern side
of the mouth of Mobile Bay was called Fort Bowyer. It was named after
the U.S. Army officer who built it, Lieutenant Colonel John Bowyer. For
some unknown reason, when Fort Bowyer was rebuilt after that war, the
renovated structure was renamed Fort Morgan after Revolutionary War hero
General Daniel Morgan. James Parton, the author of LIFE OF ANDREW
JACKSON (1861) wrote "the fortification will be known to posterity as
Fort Bowyer, though the name has since been most unpatriotically and
immorally changed to Fort Morgan."
In
support of this sentiment, I offer you the following transcription of a
letter Lieutenant Colonel Bowyer sent the Secretary of War after he was
discharged from the military service in 1815. This letter summarizes
Bowyer's military career in which he participated in all the major
events that occurred in the Gulf South between his arrival in 1797 until
his departure in 1814. Of the many reasons to remember Colonel Bowyer,
all citizens of Alabama should know that as head of surveyor Andrew
Ellicott's military escort, Bowyer was among the men who raised the
first American flag on present-day Alabama soil in the spring of 1799.
[ed. note: This endorsement by the Secretary of War is found on the outside of Colonel Bowyer's letter.]
"Washington
City, 19 June, 1814, Col. John Bowyer, giving a brief narrative of his
military services during the term of 23 years and requesting the
attention of the Secretary to his peculiar situation."
Washington June 19th, 1815
Sir
I am sorry to be obliged to intrude my personal concerns, on your attention, but I hope the occasion may excuse me.
Having given the prime of my life, to the military service of
our country, and abandoned every other pursuit of fortune; By the late
reduction of the Army, find myself deprived of my hard earned
substinance and thrown upon the world to struggle for the means of life
at a time when the vigour of youth has relapsed and age with its
infirmities begins to stare me in the face.
Thus circumstanced I have no prospects of relief but from that
community which has profited by the days, and nights, and years of
toils, perils and watchings which I have devoted to them, without any
other consideration than a bare maintenance and as the organ of their
will and disposer of their bounties- I hope I do not take an improper
direction in submitting to your consideration the following brief
summary of my services, on which my claims for some official provision
are founded.
I was appointed a Lieutenant in the army of the U States by
General Washington on the 5th March 1792, and joined the Army, under
Major General Wayne at Cincinnati on the 20th May following, marched in
October with the Army and went into cantonement at Greenville, where I
wintered, being imployed in Scouting and conveying provisions from the
Ohio, through a wilderness of sixty six miles- In the campaign 1794 I
served in Capt. Howell Lewis' company of light Infantry and was in the
advance of the army on the 20th August, when a General action was faught
and a decisive victory gained over the Indians; and the company to
which I belonged received the thanks of the commander in Chief- The
campaign being finished, serveral out posts were established, and I
wintered with the main body of the troops at Greenville- A peace was
made with the Indians the ensuing Summer, and in the fall General Wayne
returned to Philadelphia, leaving the command of the Army with Major
General Wilkinson- I remained at the position until the Spring 1796
exposed during the whole time, winter, and summer, so the most arduous
duties, conveying and boating provisions and military stores up the Big
Miami, across the Portage to the St. Mary's and down that river, to the
Miami of the lakes, the the neighborhood of the British port on the
Miami. General Wilkinson having settled the time for the delivery of the post with the
British commandant at Detroit I marched with the advance and relieved
the British Garrison at that place in July 1796.
In
the Spring 1797 I was ordered with a detachment to take post at
Natchez, where I continued encamped near the Spanish Fort, until the 7th
of October- When General Wilkinson who arrived the 5th descended with
the Troops, and took post at Loftises heights, since Fort Adams, near
the line of demarcation-From this encampment I was ordered by General
Wilkinson to take command of the detachment which accompanied the
Commissioners of limits, marched on the 22nd of October and joined Mr.
Elicote on the 24th at the Head of Thompson's creek- On this service I
continued until the first of May 1800 during which period I marched for
the Mississippi to the mouth of the St. Marys;-the national boundary
being established; I remained at Point Peter without orders until the
22nd of October, when I was remanded by Colonel Gaither to the
Mississippi; I again crossed the Wilderness, and arrived at Fort Adams
in Company with Colonel Gaither on the 3rd February 1801- I remained
here until the 6th July 1802 when I was, again ordered with my Company
as an escort to the Commissioner, General Wilkinson, for Exploring and
running a partition line between the Choctaw Indians, and the
settlements on the Tombigby- This laborious work was compleated in the
Beginning of October the same year- Then I was ordered into Cantonement
at Fort St. Stephens, I remained their until December the same year-When
I was ordered by General Wilkinson with my Company to repair to New
Orleans, which had been ceded by the French Republick to the U States,
And I arrived at that place in January 1804- Where I went into
quarters,- On the 6th of Sept 1804 I was ordered to take post in the
Appalucias as Civil and Milatary Commandant of that District and the
Attacaupus- I continued on this station until the 16th July 1806 when I
received an order from Colonel Cushing to March with my Company to
oppose the Spaniards near Natchitoches, And reached that post the 28th
July
Here
I was ordered to a position in advance- Genl. Wilkinson arrived and
took command of the Troops about the 22nd Sept and Imediately ordered me
to advance with my Company to the Arroyo Hundo and take position on the
East bank- A Few days after I was ordered with a Detachment of Regulars
and Mounted Volunteers to advance to the Adus(ed. note:?) 21 Miles and
make a depot for Provisions and stores; on the 24th of October General
Wilkinson arrived at Adus with the Troops, halted one day, and on the
26th advanced toward the Sabine the left bank of which we reached about
the 1st of November and found the Spaniards Encamped on the oposite
side- the difficulties between the two Generals being settled the Troops
marched back to Nathcitoches, ad the 5th of Nov And about the 22nd
Embarked for New Orleans, and arrived there about the 12th of December,
where I went into quarters and past the winter, on the 20th of May 1807 I
Imbarked with the 2nd Regt. to which I belonged, Commanded by Colonel
Cushing, ascended the River to Fort Adams, and Erected a cantonement for
the troops, about five miles in rear of it. At this place I continued
on duty until June 1810, when the Regt moved up the River to the
vicinity of Washington, Mississippi Territory, under the orders of Brig.
Genl. Hampton- where we again formed a cantonement under my particular
orders, as Maj. commanding the Corps- About the 4th of December, I
received orders from Col. Covington, then commanding the District to
march to Baton Rouge, which was at that time in possession of the
Insurgents of West Florida, where I arrived about the 6th and took
possession of this place where I remained until the 5th of March 1811.
When I was ordered to Fort Stoddert by Genl. Hampton to take command of
the 2nd Regt. Colonel Cushens and Lieut. Colonel Sparks, Both being in
arrest, which I did not reach until the 22nd of May, being detained as a
member of a General Court Martial- on the 17th Nov,- I left Fort
Stoddert by order to attend as a witness, at Colonel Cushens court
martial at Baton Rouge- And returned the following month to my Command-
In the month of March 1812, I was again ordered to attend that Courts
and after the trial was finished in May, returned again to Fort
Stoddert- On the 6th of August I was ordered by Genl. Wilkinson to
repair to New Orleans, where I arrived about the 12th, and having
received particular Instructions, for my Conduct in relation to the
Spaniards, as well as the Enemy, I embarked at the bayou St. Johns the
6th of Sept with a light train of Artillery and Munitions of War, of
which we had been destitute at Fort Stoddert- But owing to adverce
windis, and the vessels of the Enemy, I did not get back to my station,
until 26th of October- On the 6th of April 1813, I was directed to take
a position on the East of Mobile Bay with my Reg., and a body of
Volunteers, Mounted and on foot, under Instructions from Genl. Wilkinson
to Cut off all communications between Mobile and Pensacola-after the
reduction of Fort Charlotte, he marched the 2nd of May. About which
time I received my promotion with orders from the War Department To
repair to Platsburgh, In consequence of which I settled my affairs in
the south, and took up my march on the 24th of August last- After
arriving at this place an adjustment made with Col. William Russel, I
was remanded to the South to take command of the 7th Reg. Infantry but
was prevented by the peace and consequent reduction of the Army I have
thus far given you a Simple narrative of my military life for more that
twenty three years- during which period I never had a furlough for one
day, nor has my conduct or Character been tarnished by any act of
Impropriety, for the truth of which I can refer all with whome I have
served- Whether Superior or Inferior in rank, I can safely assert that
the2nd Regt. which I had the Honor to Command, for four years, wer in
point of Dicipline, Poleice, Arms, Manouevre and all the requisites of
Veteran Soldiers Second to no Corps in the Service of the U States. The
subsiquent conduct of those troops at Mobile Point tend to Justify my
Assertion- My case is before you and for the rest I appeal to your
breast and the Justice of my Country
I am Sir very Respectfully your
most Obd. and Hbl. Servt.
Jn Bowyer Lt Col 5th Infty.
