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Jasper County, Iowa
Historical and Genealogical Data Exchange
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James M. Brown Among
the honored citizens of Jasper County who shouldered their guns when Fort Sumter
was fired upon and who followed the flag through many bloody campaigns and
harassing marches during the great Civil War. None bore a more honorable part
than James M. Brown, now living in retirement after a long and useful life,
devoted principally to general agricultural pursuits and stock raising, a man
who has richly earned the high esteem in which he is held by all classes in this
locality, for he has done much toward the general upbuilding of his vicinity and
his ideals have ever been high, and his conduct above reproach. Mr. Brown was born in Washington County, Ohio,
December 18, 1841, and he is the son of Zebediah and Hannah (Ward) Brown, the
father being a native of New York and the mother of Pennsylvania. They devoted their lives to farming, leaving Ohio when their
son, James M., of this review, was one year old and went to West Virginia, where
they lived nine years. In
1850 the family came to Iowa, making the trip by boat down the Ohio and up the
Mississippi and landing at Princeton, where the father bought a large tract of
land and began farming. His death
occurred in 1852 of typhoid fever, the epidemic, which took him away, also
killed the subject's uncle, brother and niece.
James W. continued to live with his mother until her death in 1857, at
which time he went to live with a married sister, remaining with her until the
outbreak of the Civil War. On
October 28, 1861, he proved his patriotism and courage, although but a boy of
twenty, by enlisting in Company E, Thirteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and was
sent by way of Davenport to Benton Barracks, where he was drilled for several
months. He was then sent to
Jefferson City, Missouri, and there was discharged from his regiment on account
of complications following an attack of measles.
He then went home, where he remained until August 15, 1862, when he
re-enlisted in Company G, Twentieth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, for the three
years' service. He was again sent
to Benton Barracks, thence to Rolla, Missouri, marching from there to
Springfield, that state, and later to Fayetteville. Arkansas, fighting several
skirmishes en route. At
Fayetteville he took part in the battle of Prairie Grove, then marched all the
way back to St. Louis. He took part
in some of the most desperate battles of the war, including Iron Mountain,
Duvall's Bluff, siege of Vicksburg, Yazoo, Port Hudson, New Orleans, Morganzee
Bend, the Red River Expedition, Mobile Bay, Fort Morgan, Fort Blakely, and
although his service was hard and dangerous he always acquitted himself as a
true soldier. On July 8, 1865, he
was honorably discharged, and returned to Scott County, Iowa, where he farmed
until 1860, then came to Jasper County, Iowa. On November 1, 1866, Mr.
Brown was united in marriage with Sarah E. Morrison, of Orange County. New York,
the daughter of Henry and Harriet (Sherman) Morrison, both natives of New York,
in which state they spent their lives on a farm and there the father died, after
which the mother brought her family of nine children to Wisconsin and later to
Iowa, in which state she died. Mr. Brown is one
of a family of eight children, of whom three are living, Mrs. Lafayette Martin
of Creswell, Oregon: Addison F. and himself. To
Mr. and Mrs. Brown nine children have been born, three of whom are deceased;
George and Charles died in infancy; Henry died on the farm east of Newton when
twenty-two years old; Edward is at home; Carrie is the wife of T. T. Powers:
Gertrude is at home: Kellogg. Frank, Eben and Bertram are all in South Dakota on
farms. Mrs. Brown has two brothers and a sister living at this time, Henry Morrison, of Newton; John Morrison, of Plattsville, Wisconsin; Mrs. Catherine Wallace, of Springville, Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Brown are members of the Congregational Church of Newton. He belongs to Garrett Post, Grand Army of the Republic. He has been very successful as a businessman. Besides his city property, he has considerable property in South Dakota. Prior to his retirement, five years ago, he farmed near Kellogg and later near Newton. He is a Republican and has served his Township as assessor, road supervisor, member of the school board and in other capacities, always discharging his duties in a very able and acceptable manner. He has served his party as committeeman and as a delegate to both County and state conventions, and he has always made his influence felt for the good of the same. Mrs. Brown is a member of the Woman's Relief Corps. She is a lady of high intelligence and culture and, like her husband, enjoys the friendship of a very wide circle of acquaintances. Past and Present of Jasper County
Iowa, Gen. James B. Weaver, Editor-In-Chief, B.F. Bowden & Company,
Indianapolis, IN, 1912, page 1020. |
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