Greenbrier County, West Virginia         Biography of James Butler BOWLIN

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Bibliography:
Johnson, Rossiter, ed. Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable
Americans, - Vol. I-X (10). Boston, MA: The Biographical Society, 1904.
Volume I
page 366

BOWLIN, James Butler, diplomatist, was born in Spottsylvania county, Va.,
in 1804. He was given a common-school education and worked as a mechanic.
In 1825 he removed to Greenbrier county, and two years later was admitted
to the bar. He practised his profession there for six years, going to St.
Louis, Mo., in 1833, where he soon acquired a large practice. He established
the Farmers' and Mechanics' Advocate, and became district-attorney and judge
of the criminal court. In 1836 he was elected to the state house of
representatives, and in 1842 was elected as a representative to the 28th
Congress and was re-elected to the 29th, 30th and 31st congresses. He was
appointed in 1854 U.S. minister to Colombia by President Pierce, and
commissioner to Paraguay in 1858. He died in St. Louis, Mo., July 19, 1894.