T. J. Bowman

He enlisted in Company M, First Texas Infantry when they organized in Trinity County, and mustered for Confederate service as Private on 5 May 1862 at Sumpter, TX.

[On September 15] Jeff Bowman stole away from the company and secreted himself in the upper story of a building near where the Yanks were crossing the creek and about one hundred and fifty yards from them. From a window in the house he could see them distinctly and could not resist the temptation to shoot. He fired about sixty rounds at them before they located him and dislodged him. They trained a piece of artillery on the house and when the first shot passed through it Jeff "skedaddled" back to camp. It is highly probable that Jeff did effective work in that little battle staged all by himself.

Service information from Davis1 and Simpson.2 The quote above from David H. Hamilton in his History of Company M : First Texas Volunteer Infantry (1925) [online from Hathi Trust].

09/17/1862; Sharpsburg, MD