Bowmar at the Battle of Blue Licks

Last week, we looked at a couple of sources for Robert “Robin” Bowmar’s involvement in the Battle of Blue Licks, one of the last battles of the American Revolution.

For an in-depth look at how he escaped the gruesome battle, we are indebted to a re-printed, undated letter that appeared in the April 2, 1853 issue of The Covington (KY) Journal.

The Letter

On page 2, the paper published a letter that was in the possession of Dr. Francis W. Major (1814-1886) of Covington.¹“Battle of Blue Licks.” The Covington (KY) Journal. April 2, 1853, page 2, col 4-5. Transcription by Karrie Blees, June 2023. Spelling and grammar as in the original. Additional paragraph indentations were made for ease of reading. That letter was written to Dr. Major’s mother from Joel Collins (1772-1860) of Oxford, Ohio.

Dr. Major’s mother was Mary Martha “Polly” (Bowmar) Major. So, Francis Major was a grandson of Ensign Robert Bowmar. Joel Collins was the eldest son of Stephen Collins (an older brother of Robert Bowmar’s wife, Chloe Collins). So, Joel Collins was a nephew of Ensign Robert Bowmar.

To Mrs. Polly Major:

“I here endeavor to comply with the promise you laid me under, to write in a letter the statement I made while conversing with you during the short interview we had in Covington a few days since, as to my knowledge of the manner in which your father, Robert Bowmer [sic], succeeded in saving himself from being killed or taken prisoner in the fatal battle of the Blue Licks.

I was at the time about 12 years old, living with my father in the fort at Lexington, and I shall never forget the sensation produced among the inhabitants when the first man of the retreating party arrived and gave information of the disaster. Those that escaped were dropping in for two or three days; and when one was seen approaching, those who had friends missing would hurry out to meet him.

I think it was on the evening of the second day a man was observed making his way to the fort; and as soon as I heard the name of my uncle Robin announced, I did my best to keep up with the men who ran out to meet him. He was conducted to my father’s cabin in the fort, and while your aunt Katy [McHendree Collins] was bathing his feet to enable the pieces of cane to be picked out of them, she said to him,

“Now, Robin, do tell us how you made your escape, and all about it.”

Uncle Robin’s Escape

“Well,” said he [Robert Bowmar], “when it was made plain to us that we must retreat or all be killed, I with others attempted to gain the Licking river at the place where we crossed in going to the battle ground.

By halting to load my gun I fell somewhat in the rear, and when I came in view of the part of the river I was running for, I observed a party of Indians on my left running in such a way as to get to the river before us.

I turned to my right down the river, and crossed it about 200 yards below where most of the men got over. While crossing I heard a dreadful screaming and yelling, which proceeded from a number of Indians who seemed to be engaged on a sand bar in tomahawking our men at a cruel rate.

While running across the bottom I observed two of the enemy in pursuit of me. One of them gained on me so fast that I found I must fight or die.

In crossing a small drain with some rising ground on each side of it, I threw myself behind a log that lay in the hollow, and by the time I was ready the front pursuer was on the brow of the hill, and not seeing me ascending on the opposite side, came to a halt as if to look for me.

This gave me a chance to take aim and fire. He staggered out of my sight and troubled me no more.

Now that my gun was empty I put myself at full speed, and looking back I saw the other man running in a rather different course, as if in pursuit of some other person.

Thus a merciful Providence has permitted me to escape death once more.”

Joel Collins concluded thus: “These circumstances took place, I think, in the year 1782, and this is the substance of the statement made by your father, as well as I can recollect.”

The Other Side of the Story

Mr. Collins’ letter continues:

“Twenty-six years afterwards I heard a statement of this matter made by a Tory who fought with and for the British and Indians on that occasion.

[This editorial comment is copied verbatim from the newspaper account:] We omit a portion of the letter which gives an account of how the writer got acquainted with the narrator. During the Revolutionary war this Tory enlisted in the American army, but deserted and went to Canada. His narrative is thus continued:

“After I had resided in Canada sometime, the English authorities ordered Maj. Caldwell of the British army to take Simon Girty and as many Indians and provincial militia as he could raise and support, and march an expedition sufficiently strong to break up the settlements that the Rebels were making on the south side of the Ohio river.

I was one of the party, and by the time we arrived at the first settlement we numbered about 400 men. —

But the people were so well fortified we were repulsed in an effort to storm the station, and after spending two or three days in endeavoring to compel the defenders of the fort to surrender, concluded to fall back as far as the Blue Licks, where game was plenty, and endeavor to procure jerked buffalo beef sufficient to sustain us until we had time to try our fortune at some place in the new settlements not so well defended.

The Indians did not wish to alarm the buffalo by encamping too near the Licks, and advised the party to remain on the south side of the Licking river.

But Caldwell objected, fearing that the Kentuckians might be in pursuit; and while they were disputing on the subject, some one advised to submit the question to an old Indian whom they had brought along for the special purpose of settling such difficulties by some kind of conjuration.

The motion was agreed to and a suitable booth was soon erected in which the old man could conceal himself by crawling with his conjuring tools under the skins and blankets of which it was made. After remaining concealed about half an hour, he came out, and with his finger pointing to a position in the western horison [sic] said in a loud voice,

“When the sun gets there the Long-Knives²Long knives was a term used by the Iroquois, and later by the Mingo and other indigenous peoples of the Ohio Country to designate white settlers from Virginia, as opposed to those from New York or Pennsylvania. will be here,” which would make it about 3 o’clock in the in the evening.

It was then in the early part of the day.

The red men proceeded forthwith to make preparations for crossing the river and forming the ambuscade. But the Major prevailed on them to wait until his spies could go back and see if the Kentuckians were in pursuit.

Accordingly, two Indians were mounted each on a horse, and took the back trail. In about two hours they returned at full gallop and reported that the white men were after them.

All hurried across the river and waited until the white men brought on the action, who, after nearly an hour’s hard fighting, were compelled to retreat. A great many more of them would have been killed had it not been for a kind of scuffling fight into which a number of the Indians had got among themselves.

A wounded white man, who owned a remarkable fine looking silver-mounted rifle, had endeavored to conceal himself in the top of a tree, which had fallen from the bank so as to throw the top with the leaves on down on the sandbar below. One of the Indians in passing discovered him, and while preparing to make use of his tomahawk the wounded man shot him down.

The Indians then rushed on, and the first one seized hold of the beautiful rifle; and each as he came up, as if he could find room for his hand, would lay hold and jerk and scuffle. While some were employed in dispatching, scalping and stripping the wounded man, numbers were standing around laughing at the sport and yelling as loud as they could.

I was myself standing with others on the bank looking down at the scuffle when a stout looking Indian pulled me by the arm, and said,

“Come quickly with me, and let us pursue and kill that white man who is running across the bottom yonder.”

Off he started in pursuit and I after him; but he soon outran me. When he was some fifty paces ahead of me I heard the report of a rifle, which seemed to have been fired from a ravine in front of us but out of my sight.

At the crack of the gun the Indian fell. Not being willing to expose myself in view of the ravine, I turned my course and ran towards where the rest of the men were in pursuit.”

And here ended the Tory’s talk in relation to the Battle of the Blue Licks.”
-Joel Collins

What an Escape!

Each of the stories contain details that confirm the other. The unnamed Tory must have been the second man in pursuit of Robert Bowmar.

Over 100 years after the battle, Bennett Young wrote the History of the Battle of Blue Licks. Robert Bowmar is not mentioned in this account. However, the gruesome details of the battle are are set out for you (if you wish to read further).

More Research

What do we know about the rest of Robert Bowmar’s life?
Can we find more details about his ancestors? his wife’s family? his Kentucky home?

SOURCES

• 1
  “Battle of Blue Licks.” The Covington (KY) Journal. April 2, 1853, page 2, col 4-5. Transcription by Karrie Blees, June 2023. Spelling and grammar as in the original. Additional paragraph indentations were made for ease of reading.
• 2
  Long knives was a term used by the Iroquois, and later by the Mingo and other indigenous peoples of the Ohio Country to designate white settlers from Virginia, as opposed to those from New York or Pennsylvania.