Colonel Robert Scott Bevier, President of the Owensboro & Nashville Railroad, was born at Painted Post, Steuben Co., N.Y., April 28, 1834. His father, Benjamin W. Bevier, was a farmer of that place, and about one year afterward moved to Michigan, and then to Kentucky. The family, whose name originally was De la Baviere, came from France, at the time of the “Massacre of St. Bartholomew’s Day,” which event compelled them to seek refuge in Holland, where they remained about 100 years, and until they emigrated to this country with the New York Patroon, Van Rensselaer. After receiving a liberal education he commenced the study of law under the direction of John Todd, Esq., of Russellville, a distinguished lawyer of Logan County, and continued it at the law school at Lebanon, Tenn. On the completion of his studies, and his admission to the bar in 1852, he went to Bolivar, Polk Co., Mo., and commenced the practice of his profession.

In the winter of 1855 he went to Kansas as Prosecuting Attorney and while there became engaged in the “Wakarusa war,” and in the various conflicts with John Brown and his followers. In 1856 he located at Keokuk, Iowa, but in consequence of the strong Republican tendencies of that vicinity, he soon removed to Bloomington, Macon Co., Mo., where he continued to reside until the breaking out of the late civil war, having met good success in the practice of his profession. During that time he was selected as local attorney for the Hannibal, St. Joseph & North Missouri R.R., County School Commissioner, Douglass Elector for his district, in 1859, and was appointed division inspector, by Governor Jackson, with the rank of Colonel. He was unanimously elected to the command of the regiment from Macon County, and, joining Henry Sterling Price, was soon engaged in the struggle, participating in the battles of Drywood, Elkhorn, Farmington, Iuka, Corinth, Grand Gulf, Port Gibson, Champion Hills, Big Black, and through the sieges of Lexington, Vicksburg, and Richmond. His regiment becoming greatly reduced in numbers by hard service and casualties, he was ordered to Richmond, as General Military Agent for the State of Missouri, continuing there until the close of the war, with the exception of the time consumed in a mission of carrying foreign dispatches to Cuba, in the accomplishment of which he was obliged to run the famous blockade. At the termination of the war he returned to his old home at Russellville, Ky., being prevented, by reason of political disabilities, at that time existing, from returning to Missouri. He again resumed the practice of law, and was elected Vice-President and General Agent of the Owensboro & Russellville Railroad.

Mr. Bevier possesses fine literary qualities, and contributes to various magazines. While a resident of Russellville, Ky., he prepared a very fine history of the First and Second Missouri Confederate Brigades; also a “Military Anagraph,” being a journal of his experiences in the army, “From Wakarusa to Appomattox.” The two accounts are published together in one volume of a little more than 500 octavo pages, by Bryan, Brand & Co., St. Louis, Mo., in 1878. The work is ably written, being prepared with great care, and is illustrated with very fine steel portraits of General Sterling Price, Senator F.M. Cockrell of Missouri, Dr. J.M. Allen, and of himself. The volume concludes with a list of survivors of those brigades, with present (1878) residence and occupation.

Source: History of Daviess County, Kentucky. Chicago: Interstate Publishing Co., 1883. Print.