Private Zachariah Bowie ( Bowell (c.1782  ...1817)

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Note below regarding 13th Regiment recorded wrong

BOWELL 13th Regiment  d 6th September 1817

To the memory of Zachariah Bowie, of the 13th Regt .

.who, after the  fatigue of a long voyage,

Was unfortunately drowned ( in a Fit of despair)

at Sydney Cove

on 6th September 1817 aged 35.

In defence of his country he valour displayed.

At Talavera was wounded. but never dismayed .

When a prisoner he was taken, his suffering was great.

That his life prolonged to an unduly fate.

Deprived of sense he wondered the coast.

His life alas. By sad mischance was lost.

His body recovered from the deep.

 And here in hopes of bliss he sleeps

N1:;  C/D

   His head stone should read 48th Regiment weather faded , inscribed wrong or recorded wrong it could not have been the 13th Regiment he served in . The 48th Regiment began arriving in early 1817. So he would have definitely been in the 48th not the 13th Regiment.     

The error Is as the newspaper report:
N1: Old Chum, ‘Old Sydney No.152’, Truth, 9 October 1910. Much of this article was reprinted in Old Chum, ‘Old Sydney No.881’, Truth, 28 September 1924. Article includes transcriptions of headstones from James Bonwich notes, history of old burial ground and other cemeteries around Sydney.  C/D

 

NOTE: The 13th Regiment never arrived in Australia and never served as convict guards on any of the convict ships. The 13th Regiment was not at the battle of Talavera -28/6/1809. Zachariah was captured at one stage . the only battle where the French were able to take and would take  English prisoners was at the Battle of  Battle of Albuera 16 May 1811  when the 2nd battalion 48th regiment was virtually annihilated. As the British did the French took no prisoners.

 

Albuera

A line of British infantry of 1,900 ,two deep ,faced 8,000 French 12 deep .As the battle continued, British and French troops were involved in a massacre of each others forces. The charge of General Coles 4th Division and the Fusilier Brigade turned the tide for the French, Soult began to withdraw . All of the 48th's commanders were either killed or wounded . This left a Captain in command of the 48th, ironicaly a Frenchmen (Cimitiere) The 1/48th was all but annihilated with the loss of 280 out of 497,

It has been recorded as the most heroic day in British warfare and a victory for the ordinary soldier, most of whom lay dead, in places three feet deep.

Of the others, the 2/7th had only 85 men out of 568 left.

The 48th regiment's lost a total of 623 men out of 949 with 276 wounded or captured . This left only 50 men

standing and able to fight. They fought till the French withdrew having lost about 8,000 troops.   Part of the 2/48th captured at Albuera were 193 men only to escape and continue  Zacariah