Col. Johannes "John" Bowman (17 December 1738 – May 4, 1784) was an 18th-century American pioneer, colonial militia officer and sheriff, the first appointed in Lincoln County, Kentucky.
He and brothers Joseph, Isaac and Abraham Bowman were excellent horsemen and later known as the "Four Centaurs of Cedar Creek", all of whom were among the earliest pioneers to settle in Kentucky and prominent officers in the Continental Army.
[5] In July 1768, he sold his share of the inheritance received from his father's death, 545 acres (2.21 km2) of the Bowman family estate in Linvel's Creek, and settled on the Roanoke.
[4] The following year, Bowman was named as the first county-lieutenant of Kentucky County on July 14 and, with his officers Captains Henry Pauling and John Dunkin, marched with two companies numbering 100 men from Holston River area to Kentucky County stopping at Boonesborough on August 1 and Logan's Fort on August 26 before finally arriving at Harrodsburg on September 2.
[8][9] Accompanied by Benjamin Logan and Levi Todd, Bowman led between 160[10][11] and 300 militiamen[8][12] against the Shawnee town of Old Chillicothe May 29.
Unable to draw the Shawnee from their single blockhouse, Bowman burned much of the camp and left with 163 horses valued at $32,000.
[15][16] Although initially blamed for not taking the Indian blockhouse, as well as the dozen casualties suffered, Bowman and Logan were credited with the raid at Chillicothe as a major victory for the Kentuckians.
With the destruction of a major Shawnee settlement and the death of Chief Blackfish,[17] additional Indian war parties were discouraged from moving against Kentucky colonists.
"[10] In the fall of 1779, he and Col. Abraham was instrumental in the founding Bowman's Station on Cane Run in present-day Mercer County, Kentucky.