John S. Bowen

[nytram01]

Is John S. Bowen in the game?

I have yet to see him appear for the Confederates and I've gotten up to the fourth year, also he isn't in the scenario starting around the time of the Vicksburg Campaign where he was a major player - his brigade is but he isn't

[Colonel Dreux]

Is John S. Bowen in the game?

I have yet to see him appear for the Confederates and I've gotten up to the fourth year, also he isn't in the scenario starting around the time of the Vicksburg Campaign where he was a major player - his brigade is but he isn't

No, he's not. I listed a general wish list somewhere. He's kind of a big miss, I think. He'll have to come in a new game if one gets made.

[nytram01]

Perhaps its the general trend of skipping over the Vicksburg Campaign that leads to Bowen getting ignored. Most doccumentaries I've seen, for example, tend to only mention the Vickburg Campaign right at the end of it when Pemberton surrendered and pay no attention to the battles or campaigning leading up to the seige and eventual surrender of that city. Overshadowed by Gettysburg I suppose...

[W.Barksdale]

Bowen commanded a division under Pemberton during the Vicksburg campaign. He would have been much more well known if he had not died of dysentary shortly after the the surrender.

Good call though I totally forgot about him myself! He was given command of a division shortly after his recovery of a wound received at Shiloh. This may be a good time for him to spawn.

Any thoughts on his ratings? I don't know much about him after he left command of the 1st MO infantry.

[nytram01]

I'd think Bowen's rating would be 4 2 3.

He showed a keen understanding of the stategic situation in the Vicksburg Campaign when, after blocking Grant's crossing of the Mississippi at Grand Gulf, he moved South to Port Gibson to block Grant's crossing further South. The only reason he didn't go to block Grant at Bruinsberg was because he had no cavalry and no scouts and could only do reconaisence in force so he couldn't be sure if the Federals were crossing at Briunsberg or Rodney and so took up position in a relatively strong defensive line at Port Gibson which would allow him to react to a landing at either point. And despite being severly outnumbered and subsequently outmanouvered he managed to delay Grant and the Army of Tennessee's advance - he was promoted to Major General for this action. If Pemeberton had released William Lorings Division sooner Bowen might have held his position at Port Gibson longer.

He was rarely on the offensive so it's hard to judge him on that. His one major offensive movement came in the Battle of Champion Hill where he and his division drove the federals back from the crest of Champion Hill only for lack of manpower and lack of support from other division to force him to pull back.

Defensively he was very good. From his blocking of Grant's crossing at Grand Gulf to his stand at Port Gibson and even his attempted stand at the Battle of Big Black River Brigde (where numbers and exhaustion went against him) and even in the Battle of Vicksburg itself he consistant performed to a high standard.

I would also give him the abilities MASTER DRILLER and GIFTED COMMANDER - at Bridgade level at least.

[W.Barksdale]

Here's a quote from Phil Tucker's book:
The Forgotten "Stonewall of the West" Major General John Stevens Bowen

Indeed, the versatile Bowen was a gifted West Pointer, architect, skilled tactician, topographical engineer, chief of staff, artillerist, top lieutenant and "right arm" for more than one army commander, drill master par excellance, military inventor, intellectual, organizer, tactical innovator, and a far-sighted strategic thinker and visionary.

It's available here if you care to read it.

[Colonel Dreux]

Yeah, Bowen was highly thought of. He may have been comparable in the flesh to Cleburne, if not in perception.

I also think you're probably right that he's forgotten because he died before the seminal Western campaigns of Chattagnooga and Atlanta. The Vicksburg campaign just isn't that popular. It was just retreat, retreat, retreat, surrender for the Confederates.

[Gray_Lensman]

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[nytram01]

posted in another similar thread and copied here to save retyping it over and over again:



Tossing up new leader names for inclusion into the game without doing the necessary accompanying work is not going to cut if for me for the next patch cycle. There are already too many existing discrepancies that need attention.

To give more explanation... Adding leaders to the models/units database is only a small part of the work necessary to add new leaders. There's also associated portrait work (if any). Possible multiple ranks. And the most time consuming of all. Writing/testing the events or editing the scenarios that actually use the new leaders. All this takes a considerable amount of time for new work. As long as there are existing discrepancies already in the database to correct, we don't have the time for the additional work.

I apologize. Initially this was just meant to be query as to whether or not he was in the game. If I had the abilities to create Bowen then I would do so but I dont and it would be bad form of me to expect someone else to do the work. I was dissapointed that Bowen wasn't in the game but I'll get over it and it effect the game in the long run anyway.

[Colonel Dreux]

posted in another similar thread and copied here to save retyping it over and over again:



Tossing up new leader names for inclusion into the game without doing the necessary accompanying work is not going to cut if for me for the next patch cycle. There are already too many existing discrepancies that need attention.

To give more explanation... Adding leaders to the models/units database is only a small part of the work necessary to add new leaders. There's also associated portrait work (if any). Possible multiple ranks. And the most time consuming of all. Writing/testing the events or editing the scenarios that actually use the new leaders. All this takes a considerable amount of time for new work. As long as there are existing discrepancies already in the database to correct, we don't have the time for the additional work.

No one called for him to be put in the game.

[Gray_Lensman]

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