Jonathan Bowers

Jonathan B. Bowers (January 19, 1845 - April 23, 1934) served as a corporal in Company L, 13th Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry.

Personal life
Jonathan Bowers was born January 19, 1845 in Carter County, Tennessee to Reece and Mary (Johnson) Bowers. He married first Mary Ann Caldwell (1844-1924). He married second Mary Connell (1865-1948). Bowers had no children with either wife.

Civil War service
Bowers enlisted as a private in Company L on April 8, 1864 in Nashville, Tennessee for a period of three years and mustered in April 11, 1864 at Nashville. He was appointed corporal on May 13, 1865.

He is described as 18 years old, 5' 4" tall, fair complexion, gray eyes, dark hair, and by occupation a farmer.

Bowers is listed as present for duty until September 30, 1864 when he deserted. He returned to the regiment on February 15, 1865 and the charge of desertion was removed from his record per Special Order No. 70, Department of Tennessee, dated September 13, 1865 and changed to absent without leave per President Lincoln's proclamation.

Bowers mustered out with the regiment on September 5, 1865 at Knoxville.

He had last been paid to August 31, 1864, owed $68.56 to the government for clothing, and had been paid a $25 bounty. His owed $275 bounty was forfeited.

Post-war life
Bowers applied for an invalid's pension on September 25, 1888.

He committed suicide at his home on April 23, 1934 in Eldon, Missouri and is buried at Eldon Cemetery there. According to the newspaper account of his death, he used a .38 caliber pistol while sitting in the front lawn of his home at 1:00 p.m. and died at 4:30 p.m.. According to the newspaper, Bowers "had complained of being ill, and had threatened to kill himself on previous occastions. He had remarked, 'I can stand this pain no longer.'" The doctor who had been called to his aid found "that the bullet had entered just back of the right ear, ranged upward and emerged just above the left temple. The bullet had passed through the cerebrum, which is not the most vital part of the brain, but the physician stated that he could only live a few hours at the most."