I, Joseph S. Bowers, a native of the State of Virginia, and now a citizen of Virginia, resident at Columbia Furnace in the county (or city) of Shenandoah in said State of Virginia, and who was a soldier from the state of Virginia, in the war between the United States and the Confederate States, do hereby apply for aid under the act of the General Assembly entitled "An act to give aid to soldiers, sailors, and marines of Virginia, maimed or disabled in the war between the States, and to the widows of Virginia soldiers, sailors and marines who lost their lives in said war in the military service." And I do solemnly swear that, while in the discharge of my duty in the service of the Confederate States, as a member of Company K 33^rd Virginia Regiment of Infantry on or about the 30^th day of August 1862, I was wounded in the battle of Manassas (2^nd Manassas) and that from the effects of such would I was disabled, as follows: left arm broken bone, 3 inches taken out near shoulder joint. Arm is useless and that by reason of such wound and disability I am now entitled to receive, under said Act, the sum of thirty dollars annually. I further swear that I do not hold any national, State, or county office which pays me in salary or fees over three hundred dollars per annum; nor have I an income from any other source which amounts to three hundred dollars; nor do I own in my own right, nor does my wife own, property of the accessed value of more than one thousand dollars; nor do I receive aid or a pension from any other State of from the United States; and that I am not an inmate of any soldiers' home.

I do further swear that the answers given to the following questions are true:

1st. What is applicant's age? Ans. 43

2d. In what battle or combat, or under what circumstances was the applicant wounded? Ans. 2^nd Battle of Manassas

3d. What was the precise nature of the wound received? Ans. Left arm shattered near shoulder joint by bullet, three inches of bone taken out.

4th. What limb, if any, did the applicant lose by reason of said wound? What eye, if any, did he lose? Ans. Left arm rendered useless

5th. If no limb or eye was so lost, what is the precise nature of the disability occasioned thereby? Ans. Left arm is useless, limber, and is unsuitable for anything in the shape of work

6th. Is it total?           

(a) Is it partial? and, if so, to what extent does it disable him from manual labor? Ans. Am disabled from manual labor by reason of loss of left-arm so far as loss of left arm disables any one for such labor

Given under my hand this 19^th day of April 1888.

I, E. D. Newman, Judge of the County Court for the County of Shenandoah, do certify that Joseph S. Bowers, whose name is signed to the foregoing application, personally appeared before me in open court, and, having the said application read and fully explained to him, as well as the statements and answers therein made, he the said Joseph S. Bowers made oath before me that the said statements and answers are true.

Given under my hand this 11^th day of May, 1896

I, Joseph S. Bowers, who am now on the pension rolls of Virginia, as a resident of the County of Shenandoah and claimed on said rolls as partially disabled, do hereby apply to be rerated and placed on said rolls as totally disabled: Gun shot wound in left arm, loss of three inches of bone, and infirmities of age and that I am now permanently disabled from following any occupation for a livelihood (in case the total disability is caused by the infirmities of age, strike out all relating to disability by disease, and proceed as follows) and that such total disability is the result of the infirmities of age, which permanently disable me from following any occupation for a livelihood, and that by reason of such total disability I am now entitled to receive the sum of thirty dollars annually.

Witness my hand this 9 day of December 1907.

I, George Miley, a clerk in charge of teh Circuit Court, in and for the County of Shenandoah, in the State of Virginia, do certify that Joseph S. Bowers, whose name is signed to the foregoing application, personally appeared before me in my County aforesaid and having the aforesaid application read to him and fully explained, as well as the statements and answers therein made, the said Joseph S. Bowers made oath before me that the said statements and answers are true.

I, S.J. Hoffman, a practicing physician in the County of Shenandoah in the State of Virginia, do certify that I am personally acquainted with Joseph S. Bowers whose name is signed to the annexed application for rerating his pension under the act of the General Assembly of Virginia, approved December 31, 1908, and that from a personal examination of the said Joseph S. Bowers, as to the disability set forth in his application and the cause thereof, I am clearly of the opinion that he is disabled by reason of (here state specifically the nature of the disability and the cause thereof, and if such disability be total, whether the applicant is deprived thereby of all ability to pursue his usual and ordinary occupation for a livelihood, or any other occupation for a livelihood, and if the disability be partial, to what extent the applicant is hindered thereby from pursuing such occupation as aforesaid). Wound in left shoulder necessitating resection of bone of the arm and from the infirmities of age. In my opinion, he is totally disabled to pursue his usual occupation or any other occupation for a livelihood. and that I verily believe that his disability is wholly due to causes assigned in the said application, and that he is entitled to aid under the provisions of the said act, and that I have no personal interest in the allowance of the applicant's claim.

Given under my hand, this 9^th day of December, 1907.

I, R.G. Anderson, chariman of the Board of Commissioners to examine applications for pension, do verify that the foregoing application has been examined and approved by said Board.

In testimony whereof I hereto set my hand this 22 day of Feby, 1908.

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