Individual Details

Military

He enlisted for three years as a private on 22 August, 1862, Shullsburg, Wisconsin, in Company C, 33rd Regiment of Wisconsin Volunteers.

He was reported missing in action at Canton, MS 27 FEB 1864.
James was a private in Company C of a company organized in Lafayette Co., WI during the Civil War.
On 8 December, 1877, Jeptha Hopkins, made a sworn statement in Antelope County, Nebraska, that he served in the same company with James and that: "...on or about the 25th Day of March 1864 when the said James H. BOWLSBY with others with Sergeant Drum in Command was sent out on a foraging party and that James H. BOWLSBY and Sergeant Drum were taken prisoner by the Rebs and he was finally sent to Andersonville and remained in prison till he died on or about the middle of October, 1864:

Organized in Lafayette County, Wisconsin
LAFAYETTE COUNTY CIVIL WAR ROSTER
Compiled by Janice Ronnerud
Source: HISTORY OF LAFAYETTE COUNTY WI

Since citizens of Lafayette County were eager to serve in defense of the Union, recruiting began early. Of course there were those who did not support the cause, and, as a result, a secret organization called the "Knights of the Golden Circle", vowing to resist the draft, was organized in June, 1862.
The Union League was organized to fight the doctrines of the "Knights" and uphold the law.
In the fall of 1862, the draft was issued for nine months' service. In 1862

Company C, Thirty-third Regiment, was organized September, 1862, in Shullsburg, under the name of the Gaylord Guards. The following was the original roll-call:
Officers: Capt., John E. Gurley; Lieutenants--First, Wm. Warner; Second, James Corbin; Sergeants--First, Nicholas Smith; Second, D.H. Budlong; Third, H.W. Foss; Fourth, C.H. Knickerbocher; Fifth, C. Fitzpatrick. Corporals--First, John R. Denson; Second, Harllow S. Pickard; Third, Jeptha Hopkins, Fourth, C. Vickers; Fifth, W. Sonneman; Sixth, John Nicholas, Seventh, John W. Long; Eighth, John Farmer.

Privates--Lloyd Underwood, David Pepper, Wm. Dunbar, Michael Dunn, Wm. Shawley, George Hillary, J.J. Lane, George Kirkpatrick, Harry Seaman, C.H. Knowlton, Harry Rennick, F.C. Frebel, Casper Hardy, Edward E. Berry, Thomas H. Oates, James McGinn, Harvey Thomas, L.J. Cavanaugh, Hugh Later, Charles McCoy, Michael Haffey, J.H. Heinmann, Patrick Kelly, John Green, Eber Budlong, John M. Mason, W.H. Hughes, William N. Hoskins, Lorenz Lorenz, Thomas Tague, Peter Morgan, Aaron S. Bailey, Francis Rogers, Silas Hill, Anthony Mesberger, John Purcell, Richard Nofles, Alexander McClechy, Nelson Forman, Wm. Fanning, John Sawlsberry, James Whitaker, Walter Doyle, Chapel J. Carter, Clark T. Ryckman,------James H. BOWLSBY,------Jefferson True, Ranson Ryckman, John Shreckengaust, Martin Anderson, David Kline [Cline], Jacob Jager, George Newsbaum, James Johnson, John M. Newberry, James K. Arnold, Hugh Dearth, Beeley Pendleton, Andrew J. Harris, Thomas Lamb, James Elliott, William Warwick, William Fox. Thomas Anderson, Patrick J. Walsh, Michael Kearney, John W. Rain, George C. Day, J.M.C Eastman, J.H.F. Aufderhiede, Dominic McCauley, William Hodgson, James Maguire, John Rudd, William H. day, Thomas Peacock, John Nagle, George P. Shaffer, Joseph Peacock, Jeremiah Sullivan, Phillip Dowd, John Calvert, Benhart Keller, William Hind, Mortimer Sullivan, Christopher Larson, B.F. Miles, Henry P. Marks, Charles Lee, Thomas Burrel, Uriah Hover, John Morton, Francis McDaniel, Wm. Young, Stephen D. Simpson, Dennis Hegarty, James Kew, Wm. McAvin, Levi Long, Lyman Fairclo, John W. Judd, Henry Hayden, George W. Foval, Preserved Ireland, Lewis Worm, Wm. McIntosh, Josiah Topliss, Wm. Eicher.

Note-- In the company there were 58 farmers, 34 miners, 8 laborers, 3 stonemasons, 2 blacksmiths, 2 tin smiths, 2 harnessmakers, 2 physicians, 2 lawyers, 1 shoemaker, 1 wagonmaker, 1 miller, 1 surveyor and engineer, 1 minister, 1 merchant, 1 currier, 1 butcher, 1 printer, and 1 student.
Fifty-six were natives of the United States, England, 24; Ireland, 22; Scotland, 2; Prussia, 2; Germany, 11; Austria, 1; New Brunswick, 1; Newfoundland, 1; Canada,1; Norway, 2.

Killed in action: Corp. Wm. Soneman, Cane River, La..
Died of wounds: Wm. H. Hughes, New Orleans, La..
Died of Disease: Sergt. John R. Densan, LaGrange, La.[?]; J.H.F. Auderheide, St, Louis, Mo.; James R. Arnold, LaGrange, Tenn.[?]; Chapel J. Carter, Natchez, Miss.; David Cline, Wis.; Hugh Dearth, Holly Springs, Miss.; George C. Day, Evansville, Ind.; George W. Foval, Natchez, Miss.; Julius Geihl, Little Rock, Ark.; George Hillerey, Nashville, Tenn.; Joseph H. Heinman, Tuskegee, Ala.; Andrew J. Harris,Young's Point, La,; Peter Morgan, Shullsburg, Wis.; Ransom Ryckman, St. Louis, Mo.; Robert F. Vivers, Shullsburg, Wis