BUCKET LIST UPDATE No. 125: Visit the grave of Pinckney D. Bowles

Grave of Pinckney D. Bowles

Arguably the most prominent Civil War soldier to come out of Conecuh County, Alabama was Confederate officer Pinckney D. Bowles. The local Sons of Confederate Veterans camp is named in his honor, and a memorial ceremony is held at his grave each year on Confederate Memorial Day. Despite being a member of this SCV camp and having worked in Evergreen, the county seat of Conecuh County, for over six years, I couldn’t honestly say that I’d ever been to Bowles’ gravesite, which is why I added this trip to my bucket list last year.

Over the past several years, I’d seen old newspaper clippings that said that Bowles was buried in the Old Evergreen Cemetery, which is located on Perryman Street across from the Old Evergreen City School building. A coworker who’d been to the grave many times also told me where to look for the grave in this large, sprawling cemetery, and on Saturday my son and I set out to find Bowles' grave. In all, it took us about 20 minutes to locate the grave, which is in good shape for a grave that’s over 100 years old.

Bowles, who was born in South Carolina in 1835, was a remarkable man. He attended The Citadel and the University of Virginia before moving to Conecuh County in 1859. He’d trained as a lawyer in South Carolina and began practicing law soon after arriving in Alabama. He joined the state militia in 1860 and was a first lieutenant in the Conecuh Guards when the Civil War began a year later.

The Conecuh Guards eventually became part of the 4th Alabama Infantry Regiment, which eventually became part of the Army of Northern Virginia. Serving throughout the entire war, Bowles took part in a number of battles and campaigns, including the Seven Days Battles, the Battle of Second Manassas, the Battle of Spotsylvania, the Maryland Campaign, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Overland Campaign and the Appomattox Campaign. To say that he was an experienced (and lucky) combatant would be an understatement as he was never wounded despite several close calls.

After the war, Bowles returned to Conecuh County, where he served as a county prosecutor and probate judge. It is also said that he was a member of the local Masonic lodge and the United Confederate Veterans. He died at the age of 75 in 1910 and for a time Conecuh County had a United Daughters of the Confederacy chapter named in his honor.

If you’re interested in reading more about Bowles and the Conecuh Guards, I recommend that you check out two great books on Conecuh County history – “The History of Conecuh County, Alabama” by Benjamin Franklin Riley and “Sparta, Alabama: 1821-1866” by Pat Poole. Both of these books contain a wealth of local history information, including details about the life of Bowles.

In the end, how many of you have ever been to see Bowles’ grave? Do you know any more information about his life? Do you know of any other notable graves in the area worth visiting? Let us know in the comments section below.