PA Photos and Documents

This digitized diary of William H. Brown (1827-1883) details information from specific times in his life during his service with the army. Born to William H. and Lydia P. Brown in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, Brown later moved to Pughtown and lived there until 1852 when he accepted a position with the Pennsylvania Railroad. He held other positions with railroad companies until joining the war effort. He was commissioned as a captain in May 1861 with the 14th Regiment of the Regular Army. He fought with the Army of the Potomac in several major battles during the Civil War. Following the war, Brown continued to serve in the army in locations throughout the United States and its territories, with different infantries including the 32nd, 21st, 18th and 1st. His family often accompanied him to these posts.

Brown was first married to Sarah Rutherford on September 29, 1863. Their son, Harvey, was born in February 1865; Sarah died soon after and Harvey died four months later. William Brown married Rebecca Townsend in July 1868. Their children were Bertha, who was born in 1869 in Tucson, Arizona, and died as an infant; Ethelbert Washington Townsend, who lived from 1870 to 1941; and George Harvey Townsend who died in March 1887 at age four years. The diary begins in July 1879 while Brown was stationed at Fort Assiniboine in Montana with an entry describing a meeting with the chief of the Gros Ventre tribe during which Brown served as an interpreter. Discussions included a plea to do something about the Canadian Indians and others who interfere with the tribe’s food supply. Following this entry is a list of vocabulary words and translations.

An April 1880 entry describes another meeting with Indians also regarding food and safety, followed by references to the need for assistance from the soldiers for an expedition to deal with Sitting Bull. Following this is a section which appears to be the record of mileage between stops on a trip; a section listing persons known; and a lengthy list of US Army forts naming the person in charge and the company name. An entry about Fort Grant in Arizona where Brown was stationed in 1882 includes supplies, wagons, mules and horses; and personnel. The final entry dated October 8, 1883, references a letter from headquarters about building a hospital and appropriation for building barracks and quarters. This entry is after William Brown’s death, so this and possibly other entries in different handwriting were not made by William Brown.

William H. Brown returned to West Chester in December 1882 (where his family had previously returned) and died March 16, 1883. and Rebecca T. Brown died in 1890. Both are buried in Oaklands Cemetery in West Chester.