Brown, James M.

BROWN, MORRISON, WARD, SHERMAN, MARTIN, POWERS, WALLACE

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 12/3/2008 at 14:19:13

BROWN, James M.
Farmer; Sec. 34; P. O. Kellogg; born in Washington Co., Ohio, December 18, 1841; came to this county in 1869; owns eighty acres of land, valued at $25.* His wife Sarah E. MORRISON was born in Orange Co., N. Y., they were married in 1866; have four children James E., Carrie M., William Henry, Gertrude May. Mr. Brown enlisted in Co. E, 13th I. V. I., September, 1861, served six months, discharged through deafness; re-enlisted in Co., G, 20th I. V. I. Rgt., and served to the close of the war; was at the siege of Vicksburg, and siege of Fort Morgan, Alabama, and in charge on Fort Blakely, and at the capture of Mobile, Alabama. Transcriber's note: Most other biographical sketches read $25 "per acre." This was most likely left out by a typographical error. ~ "Mariposa Township Biographies," The History of Jasper County, Iowa, (Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1878)
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Brown, James M.

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 1869, 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 B. F. Bowden & Company, Indianapolis, IN, 1912 Page 1020.