(NOTE: John E. Bown probably never had his portrait taken prior to the Civil War. However, during the 10 month period that the 86th Illinois was in the Nashville, Tennessee area in 1862-63, John, like most of the Union soldiers in the Nashville area, probably took the time to sit for a portrait to send home to the loved ones that he left behind. These portraits were most often printed in the form of what was called a CDV, a paper picture glued to a heavier card stock about the size of a modern day baseball card, and the soldiers didn't just have one or two copies made. Most of the time, they had a dozen or more made, so they could swap pictures with their tentmates, messmates and for their friends, in the 86th and back home.
John E. Bown survived the war and lived well into the 20th century. During his life, John probably had his picture taken dozens of times, if not hundreds of times. I would dearly love to see a copy of that CDV added to his Find A Grave site for all with an interest to see. However, at this point, I would be thrilled just to see some more pictures of him added to his Find A Grave Memorial, even ones of him as an old man. Can anyone help me? Thanks, Baxter)

Corporal JOHN E. BOWN, Co. I, 86th Illinois

John E. Bown was born on October 29, 1838 at Norway, Ohio in Franklin County, the son of Henry Bown and Jennette (Wilcox) Bown. Henry was born on __________ __, 1792/93 in __________, England, while Jennette was born on __________ __, 1808/09 at __________, Canada. I have yet to locate the Bowns in the 1850 census, though they must be in either Ohio or Illinois.
At the time of the 1860 census, Henry Brown and his family are found in Orion Township, Fulton County, Illinois with their name recorded as Baron;
Henry Baron M 67 England
Jenett Baron F 51 Canada
Hellen Baron F 23 Ohio
John Baron M 21 Ohio
Jenett Baron F 7 Illinois
Mary Baron F 5 Illinois
James Sanders M 16 Illinois
Stephen Kelley M 33 New York
Eliza Kelley F 26 Canada
Leroy Kelley M 5 Illinois
Lorenzo Kelley M 0 Illinois

From this census we see that the children born to Henry Bown include;
1. Mary Ann Bowen, born c. 1827 in ________________. Mary Ann Bowen was married to James Griggs on February 18, 1851 and died on May 16, 1852, possibly during child birth. Her mortal remains were laid in the Harkers Corner Cemetery in Bartonville, Peoria County, Illinois. See her Find A Grave Memorial #5592636.

2. Jane Bown, born December 14, 1831. Jane was 1st married on February 18, 1851 in Fulton County, Illinois to Ezra Selick, who was born c. 1822 in New York and who would later serve with Jane's younger, brother, John E. Bown, in Co. I of the 86th Illinois. Jane and Ezra were the parents of 2 sons;
A. Henry Sellick, born __________ __, 1855 in Illinois; died on March 29, 1896 in Neosho County, Kansas.

B. John Walter Sellick, born March __, 1858 in Illinois; died on __________ __, 1937 in Neosho County, Kansas.

Private Ezra Selick would die in September of 1863, while serving with Co. I of the 86th and his mortal remains were laid to rest in the Chattanooga National Cemetery in Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee.

Jane would then be married 2nd to _____________ Kelly.
Jane (Bown) Kelly died on 20 Jan 1916 and her mortal remains were laid in the Leanna Cemetery in Neosho County, Kansas. See her Find A Grave Memorial #24981090.

3. Helen Bown, born c. 1836/37 in Ohio.

4. John Bown, born c. 1838/39 in Ohio.

Possibly 5. Janette Bown, born c. 1852/53 in Illinois. Janette could be a grandchild.

Possibly 6. Mary Bown, born c. 1854/55 in Illinois. Mary could be a grandchild.

Henry Bown died on February 23, 1861, while Janette (Wilcox) Bown died on February 19, 1870. Their mortal remains were laid in the Harkers Corner Cemetery in Bartonville, Peoria County, Illinois.

Now to continue with the biography of John E. Bown;
On August 7, 1862, John E. Bown went over to Lancaster, Illinois in Peoria County where he volunteered to serve in a company which was being raised in the Lancaster, Illinois/Timber-Hollis Township area of Peoria County by a well known Lancaster area business man and merchant, Allen L. Fahnestock. At the time he enlisted, John listed Orion Township of Fulton County, Illinois as his place of residence.

ILLINOIS CIVIL WAR DETAIL REPORT
Name BOWN, JOHN
Rank PVT Company I Unit 86 IL US INF

Personal Characteristics
Residence ORION, FULTON CO, IL Age 23 Height 6' 1/4 Hair AUBURN
Eyes BLUE Complexion LIGHT Marital Status SINGLE Occupation FARMER
Nativity NORWAY, FRANKLIN CO, OH

Service Record
Joined When AUG 7, 1862 Joined Where LANCASTER, IL
Joined By Whom A L FAHNESTOCK Period 3 YRS
Muster In AUG 27, 1862 Muster In Where PEORIA, IL
Muster In By Whom N/A Muster Out JUN 6, 1865
Muster Out Where WASHINGTON, DC Muster Out By Whom LT SCROGGS
Remarks PROMOTED CORPORAL MAY 2, 1864

When Fahnestock had about 100 volunteers he led his company into Peoria, where they went into camp at Camp Lyon, near present day Glen Oak Park. Fahnestock was elected Captain of the men of the Timber Township company and on August 27, 1862, Fahnestock, and 96 of the other Timber Township volunteers, including now Private John E. Bown, were mustered in as Company I of the 86th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry.
The men of the 86th Illinois marched out of the gates of Camp Lyon on September 7, 1862, with much fanfare, through the streets of Peoria down to the railroad depot. There they were joined by the men of the 85th llinois, who had been mustered into service at Camp Peoria. Together, at the depot, they , where they boarded trains bound for Camp Joe Holt in Jeffersonville, Indiana, located across the Ohio River from Louisville. Three weeks later the men of the 85th & 86th were in the field in Kentucky as part of Colonel Daniel McCook's Brigade in the army of Union General Buehl chasing Confederate troops who were in Kentucky. On October 8, 1862, the men of McCook's Brigade were engaged with those Confederate troops during the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, suffering their first casualties. There would be many more in the next few years.
After the Battle of Perryville, the Confederate forces withdrew from Kentucky, while the men of McCook's Brigade marched on to Nashville, Tennessee, where they went into winter camp. During the next three years, Private John E. Bown would serve faithfully in Co. I as the men of McCook's Brigade served in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and North Carolina. During this time, John was witness to and a participant in numerous battles and skirmishes, some of the bloodiest fighting in the Western Theatre of the war, including the Battles of Chickamauga, Georgia; Resaca, Georgia; Rome, Georgia; Peach Tree Creek, Georgia; Jonesboro, Georgia, Averysboro, North Carolina; and Bentonville, North Carolina, just to name a few. He also participated in General William Tecumseh Sherman's famous, or infamous, "March to the Sea".
On May 2, 1864, the men of McCook's Brigade were encamped at Lee and Gordons Mill on the south edge of the Chickamauga, George battelfield. They had gone into winter camp there in early February of 1864 and had spent nearly three months there. The men were making final preparations to begin what would prove to be the opening movements of the "Atlanta Campaign." To fill a vacancy in the Corporal ranks in Co. I of the 86th, the men of Co. I took a vote and Private John E. Bown was elected to fill that vacancy as a sign of his military bearing and dedication to the service. Kinnear in his History of the 86th, had this to say about the first few days after Private Bown was elected Corporal. "Early on the morning of the 3rd of May, 1864, the Third Brigade of the Second Division, Fourteenth Army Corps, under command of Colonel Dan. McCook, left Lee and Gordon's Mills and arrived in Ringgold, a distance of' twelve Miles, in the afternoon of the same day, and there joined the other two brigades of the division. There was a large army camped in the vicinity of Ringgold, and the hills and valleys were covered with camps, and rung merrily with the voices of many soldiers. It now became evident that the indomitable Sherman was assembling his whole force to make a crushing effort to drive back the threatening rebels under Jo. Johnston."
After the war came to a close, the men of McCook's Brigade marched on to Washington City (now D.C.) where they marched down Pennsylvania Avenue on the 2nd day of the Grand Review in May of 1865. On June 6, 1865, Corporal John E. Bown was there among the remaining original members of the 86th, when they were mustered out of the service there in Washington, D.C. Shortly after that, the surviving members of the 86th boarded trains bound for Chicago, Illinois, where they received their final pay and were discharged from the service. Soon after that the surviving members of the 86th Illinois were back home with their families in Central Illinois.
John E. Bown was 1st married to Mary O'Neil on February 13, 1866 in Fulton County. Mary was born on November 1, 1845 at __________, __________, the daughter of __________ O'Neil and __________ (___________) O'Neil. One son was born to John and Mary. He was;
1. Harry Leslie Bown, born December 22, 1866 in Fulton County, Illinois. Harry was married to Annie E. Inman on _____________ __, 18__. Annie was born c. 1869 in Lane County, Oregon. Their children include;
A. Glenn O'Neal Bown, born 22 Jul 1900 in Eugene, Lane County, Oregon.

Mary (O'Neil) Bown died on __________ __, 18__ at ___________, ___________. Her earthly remains were laid to rest in the __________ Cemetery in ___________, Illinois.
John E. Bown was married 2nd to Antoinette Phillips on June 5, 1873 in Galesburg, Illinois. Antoinette was born on Dec. 12, 1849 at __________, Indiana, the daughter of ___________ Phillips and ___________ (__________) Phillips. Seven children were born to John and Antoinette. They are;
2. David Warren Bown, born March 2, 1874; died December 7, 1876; buried in the Hewitt Cemetery in Cool, Iowa.
3. John Elmer Bown, born August 11, 1875; died December 23, 1876; buried in the Hewitt Cemetery in Cool, Iowa.
4. Ina Bown, born April 18, 1878; died May 15, 1917.
5. Mary Bown, born February 3, 1880; __________ __, 1932.
6. Delphene "Dell" BOWN, born October 21, 1882; married to Isaac Reece Zumwalt on August 6, 1918 in Lane Co., Oregon; Dell died on April 13, 1957.
7. Thomas Knox BOWN, born March 15, 1886 in Elmira, Lane Co., Oregon; died on February 12, 1961 in Elmira, Oregon.
8. Rebecca Jennett "Becky" Bown, born September 15, 1889; died December 22, 1944.

Shortly after they were married, John and Antoinette moved the family to Iowa, where they settled in Warren County, near Cool, Iowa. Their first two sons, David and John both died there. In 1881, they moved to Washington State from Iowa by train. Shortly afterward, John and Antoinette moved to the farm two and one-half miles northwest of Elmira on Sheffler Road.
John E. Bown died on August 31, 1903 at Elmira, Lane County, Oregon. His earthly remains were laid to rest in the Inman Cemetery in Elmira, Oregon. Following is a copy of his obituary;

"John E. Bown, Soldier

Death has again entered the ranks of the veterans of the Civil War and this time the victim is John E. Bown, soldier and highly respected citizen of Elmira. John Bown passed away yesterday, Monday, afternoon at one o'clock. He has been a suffered for several years and the only relief possible to him was death. He has been affected with Bright's disease for several years, but the final deadliness of the disease was not apparent until the present year. He was born in Ohio in October, 1838, and was 64 years, 10 months and 2 days old. The Bowns arrived in Oregon in 1884, 19 years ago, settling near Elmira, where since they have made their home. He has always been a kind father, a good neighbor and a loyal citizen, and his removal from his circle of friends is a blow to all Elmira.
Deceased was the father of eight children, six of whom, with his wife survive him. The children are: Mrs. J. B. Bamford, Franklin; Mary Delphine and Rebecca Bown, Elmira, Thomas Bown, Elmira; Harry Bown, deputy sheriff, Eugene.
The funeral was held this afternoon at the Elmira residence under the auspices of the J. W. Geary Post, G. A. R., and was largely attended by friends of the deceased. Interment was made in the Inman cemetery."

Antoinette died on Aug. 12, 1917 at Elmira, Oregon. Her earthly remains were laid beside those of her husband of 30 years, to rest in the Inman Cemetery in Elmira, Oregon.

by Baxter B. Fite III