Kentucky Cavaliers in Dixie: The Reminiscences of a Confederate Cavalryman

"Bold they could speak and fairly ride
I warrant them, soldiers tried."

WAS an educated, gentlemanly young soldier, belonging to Company F, Fourth Kentucky. His record is exceptionally honorable. Always ready for duty he never missed a fight. At Mt. Sterling he took deliberate aim at a Federal, shooting him dead. Gallant Guy Flusser was killed by his side.

While operating with Longstreet in the vicinity of Beans Station young Bower was with a detachment that captured a train of wagons at night north of Clinch Mountain, on the road from Cumberland Gap to Beans Station. The wagons were loaded with sugar, coffee and other commissary stores, en route to Burnside's army corps. Bower and James Spencer brought off one of the wagons and distributed the contents among their comrades instead of turning them into the commissary department. Bower, being a lawyer and politician, claimed that he had first lien on the goods, and that to the victor belonged the spoils.

Charley Bower and his faithful war equine, "Old Bess," were generally on hand when "tough" and dangerous service was to be performed. They were never with the "lame squad" but once--when Bower marched with the "foot cavalry" from Virginia to Mt. Sterling, during the first days of Morgan's last raid into Kentucky. Although he had been reared in affluence young Bower philosophically and stoically submitted to the hardships of a Confederate cavalryman's life. His fine education, natural intelligence and varied accomplishments eminently fitted him for some staff duty of ease, rank and pleasure, but he sought no such position, being content to serve the Confederacy in the humble capacity of private soldier. He was fitted to adorn any station.

"For of his clan, in hall and bower,
Young Charley Bower was held the flower."

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