Son of John Bowden (b. 1777 S. Carolina) and Anna Blackburn. He is listed as Newton in most records, but as N. E. Boudon and her as Marry Pollock on the marriage record, and as James Newton Bowden on his headstone.
He was born just after the family moved from Oglethorpe Co, Georgia to Tennessee. He is listed next to his parents in 1850 and nearby in 1860.
After the 1860 census he came by ox-drawn, covered wagon and settled on Crow Mountain, Pope Co, Arkansas. Newton Bowden served in Co. A, 15th Arkansas Militia during the Civil War in the Confedrate Army as a 1st Lieutenant.
Listed in 1880 Arkansas census, at age 60 with his wife.
In 1900 he is shown in the census with the family of his son Newton, which lists his month of birth, has parents as being born in Georgia and that they had 13 children, 10 of whom were living in 1900. The census enumerator was John S. Bowden.
Newton and his wife are both are buried in Bowden Cemetery on Crow Mountain north of Pottsville, Arkansas. The land for this cemetery was donated by their son Lafayette Bowden, when a small child of his died.