Bowen Collection | Tim Johnson Collection | Fort Hays State University

The Bowen Collection comprises greatest piece of the Tim Johnson collections. Thomas Mead Bowen was born near the present site of Burlington, Iowa on October 26, 1835. He attended the public schools and the academy at Mount Pleasant, Iowa. He later studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1853 and began his law practice in Iowa. He was elected a member of the Iowa House of Representatives in 1856, and then moved to Kansas in 1858. During the Civil War, he served in the Union Army and was commissioned a Captain in the 13th Kansas Volunteer Infantry. After being promoted to Colonel in 1863, he commanded a brigade with the Seventh Army Corps for the entire Frontier Campaign. He was brevetted Brigadier General in 1865 and relocated to Arkansas where he was appointed justice of the Supreme Court which he served from 1867-1871. President Ulysses Grant appointed him as Governor of the Idaho Territory in July 1871; he resigned from this post on August 15 and returned to Arkansas. He moved to Colorado in 1875 and was elected judge of the fourth judicial district in 1876, serving that post until 1880. He became a member of the Colorado State House of Representatives in 1882, and he resigned from that position after he was elected as a Republican to the United States Senate, which he served from March 4, 1883 to March 3, 1889. He engaged in mining in Colorado and lived in Pueblo, where he died December 30, 1906. He is buried in Roselawn Cemetery in Pueblo.

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Letter to Col. Thomas M. Bowen from Ward Burlingame

Ward Burlingame

Mr. Burlingame writes to Col. Bowen regarding commissions for him and several other military officers.
Letter enclosed with Thomas Bowen's commission

Ward Burlingame

A letter from Ward Burlingame that was enclosed with commissions for Thomas Bowen and Lt. Col. Wheeler.
Letter written to the Hon. S. C. Pomeroy

A two page letter written by Col. Bowen to S. C. Pomeroy regarding a possible reorganization of his unit
Letter of acceptance of rank of Colonel signed by Thomas M. Bowen

Thomas Mead Bowen 1835-1906

A letter and envelope signed by Thomas M. Bowen which states his acceptance of his new rank of Colonel
Envelope that contained the commission of Thomas Bowen

Charles Robinson 1818-1894

An envelope that contained the commission of Thomas Bowen as Captain of Company K of the 9th Kansas Cavalry.
Special order no. 85 promoting Thomas Bowen to Colonel

Lyman Scott Jr.

A special order from the 1st Division Army headquarters to promote Thomas Bowen to colonel.
Appointment of Colonel from the President of the United States for Thomas Bowen

Edwin Lamson Stanton 1842-1877

A letter detailing the appointment of Thomas M. Bowen as Colonel of the 13th Regiment Kansas Volunteers signed by the Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton.
Telegram and envelope for Col. Bowen

Norton Parker Chipman 1836-1924

A telegram that tells Col. Bowen to expedite business for the regiment to embark on its mission.
Certification of the newly formed 13th Regiment of the Kansas Volunteers

William M. Watts

Two different pages that have the same information regarding the certification of the 13th Regiment
Order for Col. Bowen to Report to Atchison, Kansas

T. J. Weed

An order for Col. Thomas Bowen to assume command of his regiment.
Order for Thomas Bowen to report for special duty

James Graham

A memo with an order for Thomas Bowen to report to the Honorable James Lane, Recruiting Commissioner, for special duty.
Letter appointing Thomas Bowen to mobilize a volunteer cavalry

Albert Howell Horton 1837-1902

Letter appointing Thomas Bowen as a recruiting commissioner for what eventually became the 13th Regiment Kansas Volunteer Cavalry
Letter written to Thomas Bowen from James Blunt.

James G. Blunt

Handwriting is hard to decipher, but was transcribed by Lloyd Holbrook of Goodland, Kansas.
Acceptance of Captain Thomas Bowen's resignation from the 1st Nebraska Volunteers

John Cunningham Kelton 1828-1893

Official acceptance of Captain Thomas Bowen's resignation
Letter to Thomas Bowen from the Iowa Home Guards

Charles Linderman

A letter signed by members of the Amity Page County Iowa Home Guards asking that Thomas Bowen be commissioned as colonel of their unit.