Americans have always liked war souvenirs. This one was picked up, to use the politest term, and sent home by a Union soldier on April 16, 1865, from Raleigh, NC, the state capital. The document itself is one full page on the face and about a sixth of a page on the reverse, with a note at bottom by the souvenir hunter. The document is a Power of Attorney, dated November 18, 1862, and was part of an effort by John Bowman of Caldwell County, NC, to obtain money due him as the sole heir of his son John B. Bowman, Co. F, 26^th North Carolina State Troops.

The younger Bowman was one of eight children: five daughters and three sons. He is described in his compiled service records as 5’6” tall, with fair complexion, gray eyes, and light hair, a farmer by occupation and nineteen years of age when he enlisted on Oct. 18, 1861 for “three years or the war.” He died of disease in the hospital at Kinston, NC, on May 9, 1862, still owed a bounty for enlisting and pay for two months and nine days: the period from his last pay until his death. At the time of his death the regiment was acting in defense of the North Carolina coast and had seen action in March in New Berne against Burnside, where they lost 5 killed, 10 wounded, and 72 prisoners.

The document falls into four parts: page one includes a statement of the younger Bowman’s service; an affidavit from his father that he had no wife or children; and an affidavit from someone who knew them that he was indeed the father of the younger Bowman. The reverse bears a power-of-attorney appointing “Capt. J.R. Ballew” as the elder Bowman’s representative. Interestingly, Ballew had been the young Bowman’s Captain, but had resigned due to “chronic disease” in October 1862. The matter may have been complicated by the apparent presence in the regiment of two other men by the same name, all from Caldwell County. In any case, from what we can tell, the matter dragged on until April 1863 before the elder Bowman was awarded the $75.24 due him. No matter what the current equivalent, it must have been poor compensation for the loss of a child.

The reverse also bears a docket noting the contents as Bowman’s Power-of-Attorney, and at the bottom bears a notation reading: “Picked up in the Capital at Raleigh N.C. by E.G. Fay & by him sent Apl. 16 1865 to H.B. Noyes.” Our best guess is that this was Edwin G. Fay, Co. C, 107^th New York. Fay enlisted at Elmira at age 21 as a sergeant in Co. C on July 14, 1862 in Elmira and was mustered in July 16. He was promoted sergeant major Jan. 1, 1863, and commissioned 2^nd Lt. in May 1863, with rank from February 3, 1863. He mustered out to date June 5, 1865, and received a brevet commission as Captain, to date March 13, 1865. The regiment was in the 12^th Army Corps and saw action at Antietam, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg before going west where it saw action in the Atlanta Campaign, the March to the Sea and the Campaign of the Carolinas. It was camped near Raleigh from April 15 to April 25, 1865, giving him a chance to acquire the document. The identity of the recipient is also uncertain, but may be Henry B. Noyes, a prominent citizen of Big Flats and Corning, NY, near Elmira, and part of the recruiting area for the regiment.

This is an interesting example of a war souvenir, but also a telling document of just how much work a grief-stricken family might have to go through to negotiate government red tape.

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