Father: Charles McDowell (1799-1856); Mother: Elizabeth Heard Crain (1805-1857)]
08/14/1850 - Laborer, District 68, Pike Co., GA (lived with his parents & sibs - indexed in the 1850 U.S. Census as George M. McDowell)
- Attended Pike Academy, Pike Co., GA
1853-1855 - Attended, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA
1855 - M.D. degree, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA (from: Zebulon, Pike County, GA; preceptors: Dr. Caldwell and Dr. Banks; thesis: "Acute Endogastritis")
1855 - Practiced medicine Barnesville, Pike Co., GA
11/25/1855 - Married, Saphronia L Mays (1840-1919), Pike Co., GA
10/19/1856 - Father, Charles, died in San Francisco, CA
05/06/1857 - Mother, Elizabeth, died in Pike Co., GA
06/23/1860 - Farmed, Pike Co., GA (lived with wife, Sophronia, and one child - indexed in the 1860 U.S. Census as George M. McDowell)
01/19/1861 - Represented Pike Co., GA, in the Georgia Secession Convention, Milledgeville, GA, and voted "yes" for secession
06/29/1861 - Enlisted as Capt., Co. D ("Barnesville Blues"), 3rd GA Infantry Battalion, Cobb Co., GA
08/31/1861 - Capt., Co. D, 3rd GA Infantry Battalion
09/16/1861 - Capt., Co. D, GA Artillery Battalion [Note: This artillery unit name may be an error in Dr. McDowell's Confederate Compiled Service Record]
10/31/1861 - Capt., Co. D, 3rd GA Infantry Battalion
12/31/1861 - Granted 30 days leave
01/31/1862 - Capt., Co. D, 3rd GA Infantry Battalion, Carters Station, TN
05/18/1862 - Capt., Co. D, 3rd GA Infantry Battalion
06/11/1862 - On a Certificate of Disability, prepared in Cumberland Gap, TN, "I hereby certify that I have carefully examined Capt. Geo. M. McDowell comdg company D, 3rd Batt. Ga. Vols. and find him unable to perform the duties of his office because of right oblique Inguinal Hernia with an extensively varicose condition of the veins of the right thigh and leg. This disorder originated before his entrance into the service, but has been increased and greatly aggravated by the labor and fatigue incident to the life of the soldier. The hernia has been enlarged and the varix increased with their
attendant sensations of annoying discomfort to such an extent as to render it highly painful and frequently wholly impractical for him to perform duty requiring him to be much on foot. I therefore recommend that his resignation be accepted and be be [sic - redundant] from duty without delay. R. B. Gardner Asst. Surgeon 3rd Ga. Batt. Approved, H. M. Compton, Sr. Surg, 2 Brig"
06/13/1862 - In a letter written to Geo. W. Randolph [Confederate] Secretary of War "Sir, on account of the disabilities specified in the annexed Surgeons Certificate I hereby tender my resignation and earnestly request its immediate acceptance. For more than half the time during the last four months I have been unable to discharge the duties of my office & am at present unfit to discharge the duties of my office & am at present unfit for duty. The disabilities are increasing daily & the pain & inconvenience resulting from them are becoming daily more aggravated. Very Respectfully, George M. McDowell, Captain Co. D 3rd Geo. Battn"
06/28/1862 - "The resignation of the following named officers have been accepted by the President to take effect today . . . .Capt. Geo M. McDowell, Co D, 3rd Battn Georgia Volunteers . . . " [S.O. 149/1]
03/09/1863 - Enlisted as Pvt., Co. B, 4th GA Battalion Sharp Shooters , Barnesville, Lamar Co., GA
04/11/1863 - Sick and sent to a hospital
04/30/1863 - Under orders to attend Medical Board, Charleston, SC
06/27/1863 - Passed Confederate Army Board of Medical Examination for the position of Surgeon, Charleston, SC
07/14/1863 - "Surgeon George W. McDowell will report to Surgeon E. A. Flewellen for assignment to duty." [S.O. 166/7]
07/27/1863 - Ordered to report to Gen. D. H. Hill
08/26/1863 - Appointed Surgeon, Provisional Army of the Confederate States, to rank from June 27, 1863
08/26/1863 - Ordered to report to the Surgeon General
08/31/1863 - Surgeon, 4th GA Battalion Sharp Shooters
10/31/1863 - Surgeon, 4th GA Battalion Sharp Shooters
11/25/1863 - Captured by the U.S. Army, Missionary Ridge
12/31/1863 - Prisoner of war
01/30/1864 - Confirmed as Surgeon from GA by the Confederate States Senate
02/29/1864 - Surgeon, 4th GA Battalion Sharp Shooters
03/21/1864 - Ordered to report to Surgeon S. H. Stout, Medical Director of Hospitals, Army of Tennessee
07/24/1864 - Assigned as Chief Surgeon, Gen. W. B. Bate's Division, Gen. B. F. Cheatham's Corps, Army of Tennessee
08/25/1864 - Surgeon, Gen. W. B. Bate's Division, Atlanta, GA
09/28/1864 - Chief Surgeon, Gen. W. B. Bate's Division
11/07/1864 - Chief Surgeon, Gen. W. B. Bate's Division, Tuscumbia, AL
12/10/1864 - Chief Surgeon, Gen. W. B. Bate's Division, near Nashville, TN
03/17/1865 - Chief Surgeon, Gen. W. B. Bate's Division
08/10/1870 - Practiced medicine, Barnesville, Pike Co., GA (lived with wife, "Sophronia", and four children - indexed in the 1870 U.S. Census as George M. McDowell)
1871,1872 - President, Georgia Medical Association
1874 - Vice-president, Middle Georgia Medical Society
1875 - President, Middle Georgia Medical Society
06/09/1880 - Practiced medicine, Barnesville, Pike Co., GA (lived with wife, "Safronia", and four sons - indexed in the 1880 U.S. Census as George M. McDowell)
07/20/1883 - Suffering from "extreme illness" in Barnesville, GA
- Member, Knights of Honor
- Member, Royal Arcanum
- Member, Ancient Order of United Workmen (A.O.U.W.)
07/21/1883 - Died at his residence, Barnesville, Lamar Co., GA (buried: Zebulon Street Cemetery, Barnesville, GA; Find A Grave # 38469442)
07/23/1883 - "Dr. George M. McDowell, Barnesville's oldest and leading physician . . .
was buried with imposing ceremonies . . . All business houses [in Barnesville] were draped in mourning, and closed as were also all the shops. The whole town turned out to pay their tribute of respect to his memory. The face of the corpse was uncovered and hundreds of mourners, white and colored, passed up and down the aisles to take a farewell look at one who had relieved many a pain for them." (MaconTelegraph, Macon, GA, July 24, 1883, p. 1.)
03/24/1919 - Widow, Saphrona, died (buried: Zebulon Street Cemetery, Barnesville, GA; Find A Grave # 38469444)

Michael Angelo and Vance Harris provided input to this biography.

This biographical sketch is from:
Hambrecht, F.T. & Koste, J.L., Biographical
register of physicians who served the
Confederacy in a medical capacity.
01/31/2019. Unpublished database.

The following was added by Vance Harris 02/2013

George Montgomery McDowell. He was a very prominent Doctor who lived in Barnesville Georgia. He represented Pike County at the State Convention in Millegeville to vote on secession at the start of the war. Being an avid secessionist and voted yes.
Upon his return to Pike County, he was put in command of a newly formed Militia named "The Barnesville Blues". The Barnesville Blues was eventually assigned to the 3rd Battalion Georgia Infantry and designated Company D. Captain McDowell resigned as Captain of the Barnesville Blues on June 28, 1862 due to failing heath. He later reenlisted as a Private in the Barnesville Blues, now Company B, 4th Battalion Georgia Sharpshooters on March 9, 1863. He was voted Battalion surgeon on June 27, 1863 and remained in this duty for the rest of the war.

-------------------------

Children in 1870 census:
George M. McDowell b. ca 1859 GA
John N. McDowell b. ca 1861 GA
Patrick H. McDowell b. ca 1867 GA
Charles McDowell b. ca 1869

-------------------------