In the early part of September last,
Lieutenant Walter Bowie, of
Maryland, at his own instance, received from
Colonel Mosby orders to take ten men and cross into
Maryland for a special service.
Immediately upon receiving his orders, he selected ten men of his command, crossed the
Potomac at
Mathias' Point, and proceeded at once to
Port Tobacco.
Here he surprised and captured the
Yankee picket and paroled the men with orders not to leave the town until the following morning.
Upon some of the horses thus secured he mounted his men (armed and fully equipped) and proceeded up through the
State, visiting the prominent and wealthy Union men, depriving them of their best and finest horses.
Passing near his own home, he was joined by his younger brother,
Brune Bowie, who was at home recruiting his health, having been, some time since, severely wounded while serving gallantly in our army.
Having secured a drove of about sixty of the finest horses he could select, he passed entirely around
Washington, and had reached the neighborhood of
Sandy Spring, in Montgomery county, Maryland, about five miles from the
Potomac, where he designed recrossing.
Here, finding that his men were in need of many necessary articles of clothing, he permitted them, one at a time, to enter the store of a violent Union citizen and select such articles as they absolutely needed, carefully avoiding any wanton destruction.
Having supplied his men, he continued his course for the river.
He was immediately pursued by the sheriff of the county with a
posse of men. Upon learning this fact, he ordered his men, with the horses, to cross the river as speedily as possible, his brother and himself remaining in the rear to keep the enemy in check till the horses could be secured.
Having dismounted, the two brothers proceeded across an open field for the purpose of ascertaining the exact position and numbers of their pursuers.
As they neared the road, they were fired upon by a man who was concealed behind a brush fence.
Lieutenant Bowie received nine buckshot in his head and breast.
After falling, he arose upon his hands and knees, and crawling thus several yards, called to his brother to make his escape and to carry the men and horses off safely, if possible.
He added, "Tell my mother that I loved her better than son ever loved mother before, and that I die fighting for my country."
An undertaker in
Brookville, Maryland, near which place the affair occurred, took the body, and placing it in a coffin, conveyed it to the church known as "
Stanley's," in
Prince George county.--Here he was buried, his funeral being attended by a large concourse of ladies and gentlemen — his former neighbors and friends.
It is proper to add that his brother was made prisoner; but the rest of the men got off safely with the horses.
The dastard by whose blow
Lieutenant Bowie fell wrote to his grief-stricken father in these words:
"Sir: I am happy to inform you that I have killed your damned thieving son, and if you want his damned worthless body, you can send for it."
The scoundrel who shot him and wrote the above letter was named Anes.
Mosby has said that if he ever catches him he will remember and revenge the death of the noble-hearted
Bowie.
