Back to Explore 19th Century Wilkes-Barre
Back to Town Characters
Ebenezer Bowman, youngest brother of Capt. Samuel Bowman, lived for a time at the homestead of his brother on "Bowman's Hill," Wilkes-Barre. He was born at Lexington, Mass., in 1758. With his brother Samuel he was one of the minute-men who took part in the fight at Lexington in April, 1775, as previously mentioned. Later in that month-according to the official military records of Massachusetts-he was one of "the men who guarded the cannon at Lexington, and from thence to Cambridge," where the American Army was being mobilized.
May 15, 1775, Ebenezer Bowman enlisted as a private in Capt. Benjamin Lock's company of the 37th Regiment, Massachusetts Militia, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel William Bond. At that time-according to the official records-Ebenezer Bowman was in the eighteenth year of his life, and was five feet and eight inches in height. With his company he took part in the battle of Bunker Hill, June 17, 1775, following which he continued with his company and regiment in service-chiefly at Prospect Hill, participating in the siege, or investment, of Boston-until the termination in December, 1775, of their period of enlistment.
Early in 1776 Ebenezer Bowman enlisted as a private for a term of one year in Capt. Charles Miles' company of Col. Jonathan Reed's Massachusetts regiment in the Continental Army. This regiment proceeded to Fort Ticonderoga, and Ebenezer Bowman was on duty with it there until the latter part of January, 1777, when he returned to his father's home at Lexington. About a year later he entered Harvard College, where he was graduated in 1782. For a time, then, he taught school in Cambridge, later studying law and being admitted to the Bar of Massachusetts. In the latter part of 1785, or early in 1786, he removed to Philadelphia; but after a short residence there he concluded to settle at Wilkes-Barre, which, in September, 1786, had been designated as the county-seat of the new county of Luzerne erected in that month by the Legislature of Pennsylvania.
Upon the organization of the courts of Luzerne County, at Wilkes-Barre, May 27, 1787, Ebenezer Bowman was the first attorney admitted to practice before the courts. In May, 1788, he was elected Cornet of a "Troop of Light Dragoons" organized at Wilkes-Barre and commanded by Capt. John Paul Schott.
He was a prominent and successful member of the Bar and a leading and respected citizen of the county until his death at Wilkes-Barre, March 1, 1829.
(from The Story of Bowman's Hill, Wilkes-Barre, Pennylvania by Charles Bowman Dougherty)
