James Brison Oliver Cowan

JAMES B. O. COWAN, of Greensburg, is the second son and youngest child of e the late Senator Edgar Cowan (whose sketch appears at length in this volume), and was born in Greensburg,~ Westmoreland county, Pa., October 2, 1846. His mother, Lucy (Oliver) Cowan, was a daughter of Col. James B. Oliver, a prominent citizen of West Newton. James B. O. Cowan was reared at Greensburg, receiving his education in the public schools of his native town and in Greensburg academy, which was chartered in 1810. After leaving school he worked at the “art preservative of all arts" in the printing office of the Greensburg Democrat, and for several years engaged in the pursuit of his trade at Greensburg, working on the Democrat and several other papers. He did not engage permanently in the printing business or take control of any paper, as a large portion of his time and labor was required for the management of his father's farm. For the last ten years of the life of his father (who was nearly blind) he was his constant companion, doing nearly all his reading, writing and office work. In 1863, when Lee invaded Pennsylvania and the Confederate cavalry leader, Gen. John H. Morgan, was on a raid through Indiana and Ohio, Gov. Curtin called for 50,000 men to defend the State. Among the first to respond to the call was Mr. Cowan, who enlisted in Co. C. (raised in Greensburg), fifty-fourth regiment, State Militia, and was elected corporal. The fifty-fourth regiment was organized in Pittsburg July 4, 1863, and aided materially in Morgan's capture; it helped to guard the fords of the Ohio river between Ohio and West Virginia, at some a of which Morgan had hoped to escape into West ‘ Virginia. Near Warrenton the Confederate chieftain tried the position of the fifty-fourth regiment, but did not deem it prudentvto ven- ,' ture an attack. After participating in this short campaign, that terminated with the capture of Morgan, Mr. Cowan returned with his company to Pittsburg, where he was honorably mustered out of the service August 17, 1863. Mr. Cowan, who is a pleasant, sociable and intelligent gentleman, devotes the most of his time ‘ to the supervision and improvement of the home farm.

[https://books.google.com/books?pg=PA69&lpg=PA69&dq=edgar+cowan+sena..., Biographical and Historical Cyclopedia of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania]