John M. Bowyer

Who was John M. Bowyer?

Rear Admiral John Marshall Bowyer was an officer in the United States Navy.

Bowyer was born in Cass County, Indiana; and in 1870, he was appointed to the United States Naval Academy from Iowa. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1874.

Ensign Bowyer served aboard the ship Michigan attached to the Northwestern Lake station. From 1881 through 1884, he was on the sloop Wachusett in the Pacific.

In 1887, he was assigned to special instruction in the torpedo service. Then he was detailed to the Asiatic Station where he served aboard the screw sloop Omaha. Bowyer returned to the Naval Academy from 1891 through 1894.

For the next three years, Bowyer was attached to the North Atlantic Station, serving on the cruisers Detroit and Raleigh, and the ill-fated battleship Maine.

At the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, Bowyer was assigned as Executive Officer aboard the gunboat Princeton: and from 1898 through 1901, he served on the Yorktown. He was promoted to Lieutenant Commander in 1899.

In 1901, Lieutenant Commander Bowyer was assigned to ordinance duty at the Washington Navy Yard.

Subsequently, Lieutenant Commander Boyer commanded the Columbia.