This is supposed to be what drew this George Bowles to the US, but I have been unable to find any record for him. Was this an actual practice during the war? And if it was, how did it work? Would George have served under his own name? Under an alias with a fake American identity? Or would he have assumed the identity of the man he was replacing?
I'm hoping that someone with some expertise in Civil War history can help out here. He is supposed to have left descendants but I've hit a wall.