1              Bucks County Intelligencer, LOCAL AFFAIRS.  June 13., 1865  Page 3  Col. 1 1

 

LOCAL AFFAIRS.

Lieut. Edward S. Mc Dowell.—This young officer,

who entered the National service in 1861 as Second Lieuten-

ant of Company K, 104th Regiment, was killed at the bat-

tle of Fair Oaks, near Richmond, on the 31st of May, 1862. 

He was the only son of E. T. McDowell, Esq., formerly a

prominent lawyer of Bucks county.  He received an excel-

lent education, and when he grew up became a sailor, and

in that capacity made several voyages to foreign countries. 

When the war broke out he made application at Washington

for a commission in the navy, but not succeeding at once in

that object he joined the 104th Regiment of Pennsylvania

infantry, which was organized at Doylestown.  He gave

strict attention to his duty, and acquired a high reputation

in the regiment for correct conduct and popular manners. 

When the advance of McClellan’s army, at Fair Oaks, was

attacked by the rebel forces, the 104th was thrown to the

front of the line, and for some time bore almost the whole

weight of the enemy’s advance.  Lieut. McDowell was

among the first to fall, and it was thought by those near him

that he was instantly killed.  After a sharp conflict, the

Union line was driven back, and three days elapsed before

the bodies of our dead were recovered and buried.  By this

time they were disfigured and swollen by the effects of the

heat.  The dead of Company K were interred where they

fell, near the ruins of an old house, and headboards were

placed at each grave.  After McClellan’s retreat nothing

more was seen of them by Union men until two weeks ago,

when the field was visited by Richard Watson and Henry T.

Darlington, of Doylestown.  Mr. Watson had been on the

field immediately after the battle, and was able to identify

the place of burial without hesitation.  The graves were so

concealed and protected to some degree by a few small cherry

bushes, which still showed bullet marks uopn their stems. 

A few of the headboards were yet standing, but most of them

were broken down.  The graves could be distinguished,

however, by the numbers cut upon the boards, counting

toward the left.  The remains of Lieut. McDowell were

carefully disinterred and enclosed in a box, to be forwarded

to his friends in Philadelphia.  They were found to be al-

most entirely decomposed, scarcely anything remaining ex-

cept the bones.  It was discovered upon removing the bones

that the Lieutenant had been killed by a shot through the

pelvis.  The exact manner of his death had never before

been known.  Six other graves of men belonging to Com-

pany K were found with that of Lieut. McDowell.  No traces

were seen of the graves of those who belonged to other com-

panies of the regiment.  Another fight took place on or near

the same ground last fall, between some of General Butler’s

men and the rebels, and in this some of the marks may have

been obliterated.  The ground is thickly covered with grass

and low bushes, and it is difficult to discern any trace of the

battle of Fair Oaks.

The remains of Lieut. McDowell arrived safely in Phila-

delphia, and were interred by his relatives at Laurel Hill on

Saturday, the 3d instant.  May his spirit rest in peace.


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