09/00/1822 - Born, Albemarle Co., VA [Note: Various sources cite the following for his date of birth: 09/01/1822, 09/02/1822, and 09/22/1822.]
Father: James Isham Dowell III (1781-1840);
Mother: Frances "Frankie" Dalton (1786-1843)]
1837 - Moved with his family to Panola Co., MS
1845-1846 - Attended, Medical Dept. of the University of Louisville, Louisville, KY
1847 - M.D. degree, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA (from: TN; preceptor: Dr. Alexander Julian Dowell (his brother), Raleigh, Shelby Co., TN)
1847 - Practiced medicine, Como, Panola Co., MS
06/29/1849 - Married, Sarah Zalinda White (1832-1869), Como, Panola Co., MS
10/22/1850 - Practiced medicine, District 13, Panola Co., MS (lived with wife, Sarah
indexed in the 1850 U. S. Census as "Greenville Dowell")
1852 - Practiced medicine, Memphis, Shelby Co., TN
09/00/1853 - Moved to Sandy Point, Brazoria Co., TX
07/20/1860 - Practiced medicine, Brazoria Co. TX (lived with Dr. W. D. Caldwell and his family; indexed in the 1860 U. S. Census as "G. Dowell Caldwell")
01/16/1863-05/01/1863 - As an Acting Asst. Surgeon (contract physician) served under a contract signed with Medical Director George Cupples "to attend all the negroes in the Quartermasters employ on the Island of Galveston" for 3 months and 15 days at $100 per month
02/17/1863 - As Acting Asst. Surgeon in charge, submitted a Report of Deaths in the
Negro Hospital, Galveston, from Jan 16th to Feb. 17th, 1863, to Chief Surgeon George Cupples, reporting 12 deaths of privately owned Negroes and giving each of their names, owner, caused of death and date of death. Most died of pneumonia but one died of tetanus, one of enteritis, and one of "congestive fever."
05/01/1863 - 06/30/1863 - As Acting Asst. Surgeon, provided medical services in the Hospital for Negroes, Galveston, TX
05/18/1863 - In a note at the bottom of a receipt for medicines apparently purchased from two private physicians, "I certify that the above specified articles were ordered and received by me, and that they were necessary for the treatment of sick negroes in the Hospital for Negroes in the Government Employ, Engineers Corps, Galveston, Texas" Dr. Dowell signed the note, "Greensville Dowell, A. A. Surgeon, In charge of Hospital for Negroes."
08/10/1863 - On a Certificate of Disability, "This is to certify that I have carefully examined Mr. Frances Ford and cannot discover any disease and believe him fully competent to discharge the duties of a soldier. Greensville Dowell, Act. Asst. Surg in charge of Hospital for Negroes And Military Prisons."
09/30/1863 - Received $200 from Capt. F. Giraud, Engineers, P. A. C. S., in Galveston, TX, for "Medical Services as Physician to Negro Hospital, Aug 1st to Sept. 30 [1863] at $100 per month and signed the receipt, Greensville Dowell, A. A. Surgeon, In charge of Hospital for Negroes"
10/31/1863 - Surgeon, 1st TX Heavy Artillery, District of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, Trans-Mississippi Dept., Galveston Island, TX
11/11/1863 - Surgeon, Negro Hospital, Galveston, TX
11/31/1863 - As Surgeon, 1st TX Heavy Artillery, sick in Galveston, TX
01/30/1864 - Surgeon, 1st TX Heavy Artillery, Galveston, TX
02/29/1864 - Absent
03/31/1864 - Surgeon, 1st TX Heavy Artillery, Galveston, TX
05/31/1864 - Surgeon, 1st TX Heavy Artillery, Galveston, TX
06/30/1864 - As Surgeon, 1st TX Heavy Artillery, on duty at Camp Groce, "where part of the regiment is stationed" [Note: Camp Groce was located on Col. Leonard W. Groce's Liendo Plantation on Clear Creek and the Houston and Central Railway. In 1864 it was used as prison for Union soldiers.]
07/31/1864 - Surgeon, 1st TX Heavy Artillery, Galveston, TX
09/10/1864 - Surgeon, 1st TX Heavy Artillery, Galveston, TX
09/30/1864 - Sick in office
10/31/1864 - Surgeon, 1st TX Heavy Artillery, Galveston, TX
11/03/1864 - Appointed Surgeon, Provisional Army of the Confederate States, to rank from 09/28/1863
12/28/1864 - Confirmed as Surgeon from TX by the Confederate States Senate
12/31/1864 - Surgeon, 1st TX Heavy Artillery, Galveston, TX
02/10/1865 - On leave of absence by orders of Gen. Walker
02/28/1865 - Surgeon, 1st TX Heavy Artillery, Galveston, TX
03/30/1865 - Surgeon, 1st TX Heavy Artillery, Galveston, TX
06/26/1865 - As Surgeon 1st TX Heavy Artillery, paroled by the U. S. Army, Galveston, TX, after the surrender of the Army of the Trans-Mississippi Dept. by Gen. E. Kirby Smith
06/26/1865 - Signed an Oath of Allegiance to the Constitution and Government of the United States, Galveston, TX [Note: At the bottom of the document is the following description of Dr. Dowell - age: 42; height: 6 ft; eyes: blue; hair: grey; complexion: fair; occupation: physician; residence: Galveston, TX
10/21/1865 - "We lately visited the Galveston Hospital for the first time since the war, and were gratified to find that institution in a much better condition than we expected. Under the management of Dr. Dowell, it appears to be fast recovering from the injurious effects of the war . . . .[The Galveston Daily News, Galveston, TX, Oct. 21, 1865, p. 2, c. 2.]
10/25/1865 - Practiced medicine and surgery, office in Masonic Building, Post Office St., Galveston, TX
10/25/1865 - Surgeon and manger, City Hospital, Galveston, TX
12/10/1865 - "The first number of the 'Galveston Medical Journal', edited and published by Dr. Greenville [sic] Dowell, is before us, fresh from the press. We do not assume to pass upon the Journal, in so far as its merits in the discussion of the healing arts. But we must award that commendation to the publisher which is justly due for the energy, public spirit and professional pride which has led him to engage in the enterprise. How much soever sport we make of the disagreements of Doctors, we must award the meed of praise to him who steps from the ranks, and addressing himself alone to his brethren, the members of a learned and often censorious profession, unaided by clap-traps and patents depends for success upon the intrinsic merits of his work. Its circulation is narrowed necessarily mostly to the Medical reading class. The present number contains, amongst other original articles, one upon cholera by Dr. Dowell. It includes a history of Asiatic Cholera, cause, symptoms, prevention, protection, and treatment. " [The Galveston Daily News, Galveston, TX, Dec. 10. 1865, p. 3., c. 5.]
1865-1872 - Editor, Galveston Medical Journal, Galveston, TX
1866 - Professor of Anatomy, Galveston Medical College, Galveston, TX
1866 - Member, Medical Society of Galveston, Galveston, TX
1867-1869 - Acting Asst. Surgeon, U. S. Army
1867 - Elected, Dean, Galveston Medical College, Galveston, TX
07/02/1867 - "As a lover of medical science, in all its various phases, I accepted with alacrity and pleasure the invitation of Dr. Greenville [sic] Dowell to attend a meeting of the medical Society of this city, convened on the evening of the 2nd of July, at the office of Dr. D. There were present some ten or twelve of our practicing physicians, besides two United States Army surgeons, who seemed to enter fully into the object and merits of the meeting. Nice and complicated questions of medical science were discussed, from about 8 o'clock until near 10. The guests were then invited by Dr. D. into the adjoining apartment of the law firm of the Messrs. Campbell & Crawford, where was spread everything edible and drinkable, and the refreshment of the 'inner man' was indulged in freely, but pleasantly. During the collation and for an hour thereafter many points in medicine were raised and canvassed by the gentlemen present. Dr. Dowell is truly an energetic and public-spirited man, and I think much credit is due him for the enterprise displayed in the promotion and development of medical knowledge. Respectfully, OBSERVER" [The Galveston Daily News, Galveston, TX, July 05, 1867, p. 1, c. 9.]
01/17/1868 - Professor of Surgery, Galveston Medical College, Galveston, TX
01/17/1868 - Dean, Galveston Medical College, Galveston, TX
1868 - Marriage to Zalinda, "dissolved" [Source: Wikitree]
04/07/1868 - Married, Mrs. Laura Baker Hutcheson (1838-1884), Galveston, Galveston Co., TX, by Rev. I. G. John
04/07/1868 - "OUTRAGE - Last night about 10 o'clock, a large party of men, principally
Dagos, collected in front of Dr. Dowell's residence, on Mechanic street, and commenced a tremendous racket with horns, accordeons [sic], bells and tin pans. Dr. Dowell had just been married, and the bridal party had only reached the house a few minutes previously from the Methodist church, where the marriage had been celebrated. Dr. Dowell came out and endeavored to disperse the crowd, but was set upon by the crowd who, with empty kerosene cans, struck him on the arm, breaking it in two places. The gate was knocked down by the crowd and the front door forcibly broken open. Other injuries and outrages attended this disgraceful scene. The Chief of Police, however, having received information of what was doing, pounced down upon the crowd with a small detachment of night force, and succeeded in capturing the following named persons: E. Cavilari, Frank Stocker, Rafael, Linio, Lafitteforces, Antonio Mager, Suandorns, Spence Shot, Kalif, and McGinnis. We do not know any of the persons named, and record their names and opprobrious conduct with as much chagrin as they can themselves feel." [The Galveston Daily News, Galveston, TX, April 8, 1868, p. 2, c. 4.]
06/09/1868 - At a meeting of the Galveston Board of Health, during an outbreak of yellow fever in the city of Galveston, it was decided that a quarantine was not needed because in the past quarantines were not shown to be effective, disrupted commerce, and were often evaded. This decision had "the full concurrence of all the members comprising the Board, Dr. Dowell alone dissenting." [The Galveston Daily News, Galveston, TX, June 11, 1868, p. 1, c. 8.]
01/15/1869 - In U. S. Court, "United States vs. Greensville Dowel; verdict for the plaintiff" [The Galveston Daily News, Galveston, TX, Jan. 16, 1869, p. 3., c. 1.]
06/24/1869 - Practiced medicine with Dr. George Washington Peete, Galveston, TX
10/00/1869 - 1st Wife, Sarah, died in Galveston, Galveston Co., TX (buried: Gonzales Masonic Cemetery, Galveston, TX; FindAGrave #35529857) [Note: Headstone states birth year as 1836 but should read 1832.]
1873 - Galveston Medical College closed
1873 - Co-founded Texas Medical College, Galveston, TX, with Dr. J. M. Callaway and served as Professor of Anatomy
1874 - Practiced medicine, Galveston Co., TX
1874 - Surgeon, Medical College Hospital, Galveston, TX
1876 - Published, "A Treatise on Hernia"
1876 - Published, "Yellow Fever and Malarial Diseases"
- Member, Texas State Medical Association
- Member, American Medical Association
- Member, Masons
06/09/1881 - Died at St. Mary's Infirmary, Galveston, Galveston Co., TX, after suffering a long time from a "malignant malady" (buried, Evergreen Cemetery, Galveston, TX; FindAGrave #46855842) [Obituary: Galveston Weekly News, Galveston, TX, Jun 16, 1881, p. 8]
11/29/1884 - Widow, Laura, died in Houston, Harris Co., TX (buried: Baker Family Cemetery, Plantersville, Grimes Co., TX; FindAGrave #70996646)

Note: Dr. Dowell's middle name may have been Shelton as he and his wife named one of their children Shelton and Dr. Dowell's wife was a descendent of Thomas Shelton.

Pat Iverson and Michael Angelo 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.
06/24/2022. Unpublished database

The following was added by Pat Iverson, the creator of this memorial:

Greensville Dowell was a son of James and Frances Dalton Dowell and was born in Albemarle County, Virginia. The family moved to Panola County, Mississippi in 1837. Dowell later enrolled at the Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he received his medical degree in 1847. After a short practice in Memphis, Tennessee, he moved to Texas in September 1853 and settled in Sandy Point, Brazoria County. During the Civil War he served as a surgeon with the Confederate States Army in Galveston.

On July 17, 1865, Dowell and a group of local physicians formed the Galveston Medical Society. In November Galveston Medical College, the first medical school in Texas, was organized by the trustees of Soule University, and Dowell was appointed professor of anatomy. The same year Dowell began making plans to publish the first medical periodical in Texas, the Galveston Medical Journal, which began publication in January 1866.

In 1867 Dowell was appointed professor of surgery, and later that year he was elected dean of the college. When Soule University closed Galveston Medical College and moved to Louisiana in 1873, Dowell and J. M. Callaway founded Texas Medical College and Hospital, where Dowell continued to teach surgery until his death.

In addition to his teaching and editing responsibilities, he published two books and about fifty articles. The surgical operation he devised for the cure of hernia by means of subcutaneous stitches was well known among his contemporaries; Dowell described the procedure in his monograph, A Treatise on Hernia (1876). He also designed several surgical instruments, including needles for repairing hernia and ligating varicose veins, and several kinds of forceps and specula. He was regarded as an authority on yellow fever, and he often traveled to epidemic-stricken cities to treat victims. His Yellow Fever and Malarial Diseases (1876) includes an account of his own experiences as well as reports written by other Texas physicians.

Dowell was a member of the American Medical Association, the Texas State Medical Association, and the Galveston Medical Society; he was an honorary member of the Boston Gynecological Society and the New York State Medical Society. He married Sarah Zalinda White in 1849 at Como, Mississippi, and they had three children. In 1868, Dowell married Laura Baker Hutcheson, widow of John William Hutcheson, of Galveston. He died in Galveston on June 9, 1881, and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery.