Misc - From calljohnw @ msn.com:

Mary Jane Austin (Charles Winston Bowden) was the daughter of William Young Austin and Frances Allen
"Frankie" Pollock.

Their son James A. Austin b. 1842 married Nancy Jane Bowden, then Laura Nowlin after Nancy's death in
1875.

Frances Allen Pollock was the daughter of John Pollock and Elizabeth Jennings 

-------------------------------------

1860 Census - Pope County, Arkansas
Gum Log TWP - 25 Sept. 1860

  1139 1126
  Wm. S. Bowden  23 M Farmer 425 Tenn
  Didema E.      22 F            Tenn
  Allen T.     8/12 M            Ark
  Charles W.     21 M            Tenn

  1140 1127
  William Y. Austin   42 M Farmer 1500 N.C.
  Frances             41 F             Tenn
  James R.            18 M             Tenn
  Elizabeth           17 F             Tenn
  Mary J.             16 F             Tenn
  Philip W.           14 M             Tenn
  Margaret            13 F             Tenn
  Charles F.          12 M             Tenn
  Susan               11 F             Tenn
  Sarah               10 F             Tenn
  Amanda               9 F             Tenn
  John W.              7 M             Tenn
  Joseph K.            6 M             Tenn
  Stanford Y.          3 M             Tenn
  Tennessee L.         1 F             Tenn

1870 Census - Lawrence County, Tennessee
Civil District #10 - 2 July 1870

  525 540
  Bowden, C. W. 31 M W Farmer 160 360 Tenn
  Mary J.       26 F W Keeping House  Tenn
  Sarah E.       4 F W                Ark
  Matilda        2 F W                Tenn
  Laura A.    6/12 F W                Tenn [born Nov.]

1880 Census - Pope County, Arkansas
Valley TWP - 9 June 1880

  119 125
  Bowden, Charles W.  W M 41      M Farmer      Tenn Geor Tenn
  Mary J.             W F 36 Wife M Housekeeper Tenn N.C. Tenn
  Sarah E.            W F 14 Dau  S Housekeeper Ark  Tenn Tenn
  Matilda R.          W F 12 Dau  S Housekeeper Tenn Tenn Tenn
  Laura A.            W F 10 Dau  S Housekeeper Tenn Tenn Tenn
  William J. O.       W M  8 Son  S             Ark  Tenn Tenn
  Aider M.            W F  6 Dau  S             Ark  Tenn Tenn
  Andrew M.           W M  3 Son  S             Ark  Tenn Tenn
  Nolie W.            W M 2/12 March Son S      Ark  Tenn Tenn

C. W. Bowden

From old Brownwood newspaper:

Reminiscences of Camp Life and Stirring Times During Cival War 
by Brown Co. Man

C. W. BOWDEN, OF MAY, EX-CONFEDERATE SOLDIER TELLS INTERESTING EVENTS 
IN CONNECTION WITH PRIVATION OF WAR, INCLUDING STORY OF BARE FOOTED 
WALK HOME FROM VICKSBURG AND FORCED TO WORK UNDER NEGROES.

(Mr. and Mrs. Bowden live at May and have a host of relatives and friends 
in Brown county. They lived at Owens for 25 years, and moved to May three 
years ago. Mr. and Mrs. Bowden celebrated their Golden Wedding about two 
years ago.)

Soon after the war broke out I volunteered, about May 1, in Capt. 
"Uncle Caleb" Davis Company; Co. E, Reg. 15, Pope County, Ark. May 20 
was my twenty-first birthday. [note: this would be in 1860]

We first went to North Arkansas and served there awhile under the command 
of Gen. Price. We were next ordered to go to Corinth, Miss., and from 
there to Iuka, where we had a battle which resulted in a great success 
for our side, we capturing their artillery.

I fought in many battles, and went through many hardships. We fought 
battles at Farmington, Tupalo, and other places too numerous to mention. 
At Rainza I had a spell of pneumonia, and had to lie on a blanket on the 
second floor of an old storehouse. One morning a comrade, who was lying 
sick at my feet, was found dead. It was reported that I was dead, and 
when I went back to camp cheer after cheer greeted me, as my comrades 
had heard the report.

I cannot give the facts in detail, or the battles in succession as 
it breaks my heart to try to remember them and as it has been so long ago. 
However, I will try to give a few facts merely in sketch. I had many 
narrow escapes. Once I was shot in the foot and another time a bullet 
seared my breast. That was at Ft. Gibson, where so many of my comrades 
were killed, arms and legs being amputated and piled up. During this 
battle my gun became chocked and my ammunition almost gone, so I 
assisted in carrying our dead and wounded from the field.

One morning, just at break of day, we ran in on the the enemy at Corinth, 
and formed a line among the tents by the mess tables, and ran them all out. 
One of our men, John Wesley Bowden-Who is now a Methodist preacher-grabbed 
a cake of soap from one of the tables and thinking it was cheese, it being 
dark, took a bite. Not wishing to give himself away, he passed it down the 
line and each man took a bite.

For a while we were camped at Tupalo, Miss. Every morning the Negroes 
would come to beg for a little sugar and old clothes, and as it annoyed 
us we thought to have some fun. We decided for me to play crazy. I got a 
bayonet and went to my tent. An old negro was told that I was told that 
I was crazy, and that the siege guns had deafened me, but that I had some 
old clothes and sugar. So he came to my tent and said to me, "I want some 
old clothes. If you please, sir. I am going to get married Saturday nest 
Saturday night.

I would say "Talk a little louder, I can't hear you." Then he would repeat 
it in a louder tone, and then step back and say in a lower tone, "What a 
pity, Such a nice young man." I kept making him yell louder and louder, 
and directly I took a fit and made for him with my bayonet. He took to his 
heels and I after him. I let him keep just ahead, of me. He caught his 
foot in something and fell, my comrades all shouting at him, "Run, Run 
he will get you! He is dangerous!" The old darkey jumped up and got 
over a fence and ran across an old field one half mile, without 
looking back. I stopped at the fence. On another occasion one came in 
and wanted some sugar, "If you please Sir," and I, having about three 
pounds in my hamper sack told him he could have it if he would eat it 
all. He said, "Oh, yes, I can eat all that." I gave it to him an

We all watched the old fool eat every bite. He would scoop his hand in 
and fill his mouth and gulp it down,

Then lick his lips and nose with his long tongue. It afforded us a 
little amusement and helped to break the monotony of our camp life.


After the battle of Black River, four miles from Vicksburg we were, 
by overwhelming odds, forced to fall back into the city. I was in the 
long siege of 47 days and nights at Vicksburg. The Federals planned 
to take the city by storming our breast works, which they did for three days, five ranks deep, but
we, having two guns to a man and our city fortified, repulsed them every time, and they were
compelled to fall back with heavy losses. Gen. Price being transferred to Arkansas, we were put under
Gen. Pembleton. It was reported that the federal losses were 97,000. There were only 31,000 of us and
our losses were small. When they found that they could not take us by storm, they began to build
fortifications around us to starve us out, which they finally did. The Federal gun boats were five
miles up the Mississippi river, and kept up a continual firing of bomb shells, night and day, which
was very annoying. Sometimes at night we could see the bomb shells go away above the clouds and they
would often burst up there, and sometimes would not burst till they had fallen and buried in the
earth. One morning at three o'clock the enemy opened fire on us with hundreds of cannon, each cannon
firing bomb shells with a continual roar that was deafening and was kept up for hours. After day
light the sun was hidden by the smoke, and the air was suffocating. Little damage was done, aside
from the destruction of the city. At the close of the siege we were without rations or ammunition and
at times were forced to eat mule meat, and even rats, or starve. We surrendered on the Fourth of
July. I still have my parole.

One day during the siege I got a letter from my father in Tenn. which was 
brought in in some way. It told of the death of my grandfather in Tenn.
And of the division of our negro slaves, also which ones I was to get. 
At the same time I got a letter from a young lady, Mary Jane Austin, who 
is now my wife. After the surrender, I left with the others, and, 
barefooted, I started out to make my way home in company with two 
comrades. I was having chills and fever, and one of them was lame. 
They soon out walked me, and a few miles from the city I stopped 
at a country house to get my canteen willed with buttermilk. 
Two lovely young ladies were very kind to me, and made me sit in the 
parlor while they played the piano. There I sat with my legs 
crossed, barefooted, which at first embarrassed me. But as they 
played ~~ie" and "Home Spun Dresses" I forgot my bare feet and 
ragged ~~ and wanted to go right back ~~ fight again.

~~went on a few miles further and came to the river, and while 
looking for a man to take me across, was attacked by two big bull dogs, 
which belonged to a man who was chopping wood not far away. 
As I was barefooted, and had nothing else to strike with, I used my 
canteen of milk, which to my sorrow was all lost. The owner of the dogs 
came to my rescue after I had been bitten and lamed so that I 
could hardly walk for several days. He offered me his gun to 
shoot the dogs it I wished, but I declined as I knew he 
loved his dogs. After crossing the river I spent one night 
in a negro cabin. During the night a great crowd of darkies came. 
The men were dressed in their best, and had on "bee gum"~~~