Civil War: Company D, 5th Maryland Infantry (U.S.);
Landsman, U.S. Navy (USS Savannah, USS Metacomet?)
William Allison Cowen, Jr, (also: Cowan) was born in Cape May County, New Jersey in 1839, the son of William Allison Cowen, Sr., and Mary Weatherby. His parents moved the family to Baltimore, Maryland, about 1846. During the Civil War William and his brother Cavalier both enlisted as privates for 3 years, Cavalier on September 12 and William on September 14, 1861. The brothers were both mustered into Company D, 5th Maryland Infantry. Cavalier was captured by Confederate forces at Winchester, Virginia, June 15, 1863, and later paroled. The Cowen brothers were mustered out September 14, 1864. William then enlisted in the U.S. Navy under the alias "William Allison." Landsman Allison (Cowen) served on the USS Savannah and the USS Metacomet(?). He was mustered out of the Navy about 1869. After the war he returned to Baltimore where he entered the U.S. Lighthouse Service and married Mary Matilda Eaton (1844-1898) in about 1872. He was an assistant lighthouse keeper at Baltimore Harbor for many years. While a lighthouse keeper he filed for a Civil War veteran's pension on August 15, 1890, and was credited for his U.S. Navy service under alias "William Allison" (Certificate No. 12,458). His last assignment with the Lighthouse Service had him posted in 1893 as head keeper at the Craighill Light in Craighill Channel 2 miles east southeast of North Point, Maryland, in Chesapeake Bay. It was near there he slipped on the ice and froze to death or drowned on February 11, 1895. His body was seen floating on a large piece of ice by a British Steamer leaving Baltimore Harbor and then headlined in one of the city papers as "A Gruesome Cargo". His body was not recovered until the ice melted in April. He was buried in Baltimore Cemetery. Not long thereafter Mary filed for a Civil War widow's pension on April 27, 1895.
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Another keeper [John F. Fick] was sent by the iceboat LATROBE to the Front Beacon light of the Craighill channel to supply the place of Wm. A. Cowan, head keeper, who is thought, was drown while attempting to walk ashore on the ice on the 11th instant.
(Source: Baltimore newspaper excerpt of Feb. 19, 1895)
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Children:
- Naomi Weatherby (Jul. 1873- Feb. 1950; m. William Plummer Cole, Jr.; ch: Elmira Isabel Cole [19??-1979; m. Lewis Williams in 1914 at Goshen, NJ], Wm Plummer [1907-1974])
- Franklin Allison (1876-1945)
- Elmira May (1878-1974)
Siblings:
- Cavalier Cowan (1835, NJ-1905, VA; Company D, 5th Maryland Infantry. POW. Died at Soldiers' Home, Hampton Roads, VA, Oct. 6, 1905)
- Benjamin S. (1837, NJ-18??)
- Elmira (1841, NJ-1920; m. Edward Pryor)
- Mary (1842-1842)
- Martha (1844-1846)
- Franklin O. (1849, Baltimore-1910; m. Virginia Durham)
Landsman, U.S. Navy (USS Savannah, USS Metacomet?)
William Allison Cowen, Jr, (also: Cowan) was born in Cape May County, New Jersey in 1839, the son of William Allison Cowen, Sr., and Mary Weatherby. His parents moved the family to Baltimore, Maryland, about 1846. During the Civil War William and his brother Cavalier both enlisted as privates for 3 years, Cavalier on September 12 and William on September 14, 1861. The brothers were both mustered into Company D, 5th Maryland Infantry. Cavalier was captured by Confederate forces at Winchester, Virginia, June 15, 1863, and later paroled. The Cowen brothers were mustered out September 14, 1864. William then enlisted in the U.S. Navy under the alias "William Allison." Landsman Allison (Cowen) served on the USS Savannah and the USS Metacomet(?). He was mustered out of the Navy about 1869. After the war he returned to Baltimore where he entered the U.S. Lighthouse Service and married Mary Matilda Eaton (1844-1898) in about 1872. He was an assistant lighthouse keeper at Baltimore Harbor for many years. While a lighthouse keeper he filed for a Civil War veteran's pension on August 15, 1890, and was credited for his U.S. Navy service under alias "William Allison" (Certificate No. 12,458). His last assignment with the Lighthouse Service had him posted in 1893 as head keeper at the Craighill Light in Craighill Channel 2 miles east southeast of North Point, Maryland, in Chesapeake Bay. It was near there he slipped on the ice and froze to death or drowned on February 11, 1895. His body was seen floating on a large piece of ice by a British Steamer leaving Baltimore Harbor and then headlined in one of the city papers as "A Gruesome Cargo". His body was not recovered until the ice melted in April. He was buried in Baltimore Cemetery. Not long thereafter Mary filed for a Civil War widow's pension on April 27, 1895.
---
Another keeper [John F. Fick] was sent by the iceboat LATROBE to the Front Beacon light of the Craighill channel to supply the place of Wm. A. Cowan, head keeper, who is thought, was drown while attempting to walk ashore on the ice on the 11th instant.
(Source: Baltimore newspaper excerpt of Feb. 19, 1895)
---
Children:
- Naomi Weatherby (Jul. 1873- Feb. 1950; m. William Plummer Cole, Jr.; ch: Elmira Isabel Cole [19??-1979; m. Lewis Williams in 1914 at Goshen, NJ], Wm Plummer [1907-1974])
- Franklin Allison (1876-1945)
- Elmira May (1878-1974)
Siblings:
- Cavalier Cowan (1835, NJ-1905, VA; Company D, 5th Maryland Infantry. POW. Died at Soldiers' Home, Hampton Roads, VA, Oct. 6, 1905)
- Benjamin S. (1837, NJ-18??)
- Elmira (1841, NJ-1920; m. Edward Pryor)
- Mary (1842-1842)
- Martha (1844-1846)
- Franklin O. (1849, Baltimore-1910; m. Virginia Durham)
Civil War: Company D, 5th Maryland Infantry (U.S.);
Landsman, U.S. Navy (USS Savannah, USS Metacomet?)
William Allison Cowen, Jr, (also: Cowan) was born in Cape May County, New Jersey in 1839, the son of William Allison Cowen, Sr., and Mary Weatherby. His parents moved the family to Baltimore, Maryland, about 1846. During the Civil War William and his brother Cavalier both enlisted as privates for 3 years, Cavalier on September 12 and William on September 14, 1861. The brothers were both mustered into Company D, 5th Maryland Infantry. Cavalier was captured by Confederate forces at Winchester, Virginia, June 15, 1863, and later paroled. The Cowen brothers were mustered out September 14, 1864. William then enlisted in the U.S. Navy under the alias "William Allison." Landsman Allison (Cowen) served on the USS Savannah and the USS Metacomet(?). He was mustered out of the Navy about 1869. After the war he returned to Baltimore where he entered the U.S. Lighthouse Service and married Mary Matilda Eaton (1844-1898) in about 1872. He was an assistant lighthouse keeper at Baltimore Harbor for many years. While a lighthouse keeper he filed for a Civil War veteran's pension on August 15, 1890, and was credited for his U.S. Navy service under alias "William Allison" (Certificate No. 12,458). His last assignment with the Lighthouse Service had him posted in 1893 as head keeper at the Craighill Light in Craighill Channel 2 miles east southeast of North Point, Maryland, in Chesapeake Bay. It was near there he slipped on the ice and froze to death or drowned on February 11, 1895. His body was seen floating on a large piece of ice by a British Steamer leaving Baltimore Harbor and then headlined in one of the city papers as "A Gruesome Cargo". His body was not recovered until the ice melted in April. He was buried in Baltimore Cemetery. Not long thereafter Mary filed for a Civil War widow's pension on April 27, 1895.
---
Another keeper [John F. Fick] was sent by the iceboat LATROBE to the Front Beacon light of the Craighill channel to supply the place of Wm. A. Cowan, head keeper, who is thought, was drown while attempting to walk ashore on the ice on the 11th instant.
(Source: Baltimore newspaper excerpt of Feb. 19, 1895)
---
Children:
- Naomi Weatherby (Jul. 1873- Feb. 1950; m. William Plummer Cole, Jr.; ch: Elmira Isabel Cole [19??-1979; m. Lewis Williams in 1914 at Goshen, NJ], Wm Plummer [1907-1974])
- Franklin Allison (1876-1945)
- Elmira May (1878-1974)
Siblings:
- Cavalier Cowan (1835, NJ-1905, VA; Company D, 5th Maryland Infantry. POW. Died at Soldiers' Home, Hampton Roads, VA, Oct. 6, 1905)
- Benjamin S. (1837, NJ-18??)
- Elmira (1841, NJ-1920; m. Edward Pryor)
- Mary (1842-1842)
- Martha (1844-1846)
- Franklin O. (1849, Baltimore-1910; m. Virginia Durham)
Landsman, U.S. Navy (USS Savannah, USS Metacomet?)
William Allison Cowen, Jr, (also: Cowan) was born in Cape May County, New Jersey in 1839, the son of William Allison Cowen, Sr., and Mary Weatherby. His parents moved the family to Baltimore, Maryland, about 1846. During the Civil War William and his brother Cavalier both enlisted as privates for 3 years, Cavalier on September 12 and William on September 14, 1861. The brothers were both mustered into Company D, 5th Maryland Infantry. Cavalier was captured by Confederate forces at Winchester, Virginia, June 15, 1863, and later paroled. The Cowen brothers were mustered out September 14, 1864. William then enlisted in the U.S. Navy under the alias "William Allison." Landsman Allison (Cowen) served on the USS Savannah and the USS Metacomet(?). He was mustered out of the Navy about 1869. After the war he returned to Baltimore where he entered the U.S. Lighthouse Service and married Mary Matilda Eaton (1844-1898) in about 1872. He was an assistant lighthouse keeper at Baltimore Harbor for many years. While a lighthouse keeper he filed for a Civil War veteran's pension on August 15, 1890, and was credited for his U.S. Navy service under alias "William Allison" (Certificate No. 12,458). His last assignment with the Lighthouse Service had him posted in 1893 as head keeper at the Craighill Light in Craighill Channel 2 miles east southeast of North Point, Maryland, in Chesapeake Bay. It was near there he slipped on the ice and froze to death or drowned on February 11, 1895. His body was seen floating on a large piece of ice by a British Steamer leaving Baltimore Harbor and then headlined in one of the city papers as "A Gruesome Cargo". His body was not recovered until the ice melted in April. He was buried in Baltimore Cemetery. Not long thereafter Mary filed for a Civil War widow's pension on April 27, 1895.
---
Another keeper [John F. Fick] was sent by the iceboat LATROBE to the Front Beacon light of the Craighill channel to supply the place of Wm. A. Cowan, head keeper, who is thought, was drown while attempting to walk ashore on the ice on the 11th instant.
(Source: Baltimore newspaper excerpt of Feb. 19, 1895)
---
Children:
- Naomi Weatherby (Jul. 1873- Feb. 1950; m. William Plummer Cole, Jr.; ch: Elmira Isabel Cole [19??-1979; m. Lewis Williams in 1914 at Goshen, NJ], Wm Plummer [1907-1974])
- Franklin Allison (1876-1945)
- Elmira May (1878-1974)
Siblings:
- Cavalier Cowan (1835, NJ-1905, VA; Company D, 5th Maryland Infantry. POW. Died at Soldiers' Home, Hampton Roads, VA, Oct. 6, 1905)
- Benjamin S. (1837, NJ-18??)
- Elmira (1841, NJ-1920; m. Edward Pryor)
- Mary (1842-1842)
- Martha (1844-1846)
- Franklin O. (1849, Baltimore-1910; m. Virginia Durham)
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