Thomas Brown

A Patriot of the American Revolution for VIRGINIA with the rank of Private. DAR Ancestor # A015911

Son of William Brown III. Married Anna Ash Oct. 20, 1785. Revolutionary War Soldier in Capt. John Britt's Co. under Col. Lucas. Was in the Battle of the Cowpens. Had 8 children, Elizabeth, John Buckner, George, Lydia, Samuel Byrne, William, Mary Ann, Thomas Francis.

Thomas's son Samuel Byrne Brown (1793-1859) was a Soldier in War of 1812.

Son's of Samuel Byrne Brown,.. Lycurgus Brown (1824-1890), William Byrne Brown (1829-) and Granville Brown (1832-) were Officers in Union Army, Civil War.

Thomas's son Thomas Francis sent two sons, Buckner B. Brown (1832-1877) and Virgil Brown (1838-1896) were both Officers in Union Army, Civil War.

Thomas's son George gave two of his son's....John B. Brown and Thornsberry Bailey Brown both killed in Civil War. http://files.usgwarchives.net/wv/preston/bios/b650-002.txt Biography of Thomas BROWN, Preston County, West Virginia

This file was submitted by Lawrence G. Brown <lgbrown@nwark.com>.

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Thomas Brown born 7 Sept, 1760, Prince William Co., VA died Aug 1844, Preston Co., WV Revolutionary War soldier, Pioneer settler Preston County, owned and lived on land where now stands noted "Stone House", vicinity Browns Mill. The following biographical and historical data regarding Thomas Brown is extracted and here summarized from "Genealogy of The Brown Family of Prince William County, VA" , published first 1898 and republished 1930 by great grandsons James Edgar Brown, Attorney, Chicago, IL, and ably researched by his brother Prof. Samuel Boardman Brown, West Virginia University.

Submitted by great-great grandson Colonel Lawrence G. Brown, USA, Retired.

Thomas Brown, (Wm., Wm.,) the second son of William Brown and Elizabeth (Buckner) Brown, was born Sept 7th 1760, in Prince William County, Virginia. Of the history of his early boyhood nothing can now be ascertained.

In October, 1780 when he was twenty years of age, he enlisted in Capt. John Britt's Company under Col. William Lucas, of the Virginia troops, and marched south, joining Gen. Greene's army in South Carolina. He was on duty at the celebrated battle of the Cowpens, South Carolina, on Jan 17, 1781. In his old age he described the forced marches through the swamps, and across the flooded streams in the middle of winter, as a time of great hardship and suffering among the soldiers.

His first period of enlistment was for six months; whether he served longer than this, does not appear. Although only in service six months, he was immediately sent south and his unity encountered the British one evening on the bank of a river. The firing was hot and men fell fast on all sides. The Americans were forced into the river. Many were drowned but the greater part reached the other shore. Thomas Brown was among that number. Some, however, did not reach the shore but climbed upon floating wood drifts. The water was rising and the drifts carried away many; some climbed trees in the river and remained all night. The next morning the water was higher still and over the bottom lands, and men on shore were unable to go to the rescue of their comrades. After being up the trees two nights and a day, they eventually were brought ashore. Thomas Brown was not one of those caught in such a dilemma, but was able to help rescue others. For two days they could see the bodies of their comrades on the opposite shore.

It appears that a short time after his enlistment he was transferred to Col. Charles Harrison's regiment of Artillery and to the company commanded by Capt. Wm. Brown, pages 85 and 86 of Saffel's Records of the Revolution War, may be found the following:

"Pay Office, Dec. 26, 1780

Gentlemen:

Capt. William Brown of Colonel Charles Harrison's Regiment of Artillery who has been stationed at Fort Schuyler is now on his march with his company to join the Southern army. Not being furnished with money to defray his expenses he is obliged to call for the pay of the company, which is due since the 1st of January l last, amounting to August 1st in the old money to $12,375 dollars, and from that time to the 1st inst., to $2,636 in the new emissions, warrants for which the Board of War have granted to me. As I am unsupplied in cash, I thought it not improper to request if the money can be obtained, that your Honorable Board will report in my favor on the Treasurer to enable me to pay him. I am, gentlemen, your obedient servant.

John Pierce" Honorable Board of Treasury.

Then follows, "a list of Captain Brown's Company who are to be paid," in which occurs the name of "Thomas Brown, Matross," and beneath, the date, "Oct. 1, 1780.". A matross is an artilleryman, or to be more specific, a gunner's assistant. His pay was $8.33 per month.

Whether this Captain Wm. Brown was his father or some other Wm. Brown it seems now difficult to establish

For this Revolutionary service Thomas Brown received a pension, fifty years later, by act of Congress of 1832, as evidenced by the records of the Pension Bureau at Washington, D.C., and also the Virginia Calendar Papers.

His mother, Elizabeth (Buckner) Brown died when he was about 23 or 24 years of age, i.e., 1783-84. On Oct. 20, 1785, he was married to Anna Ash, born 1763, a daughter of George Ash and Mary (Byrne) Ash. She was his cousin, but whether his first or second cousin does not appear.

He lived for a time near what is now Rectortown, Fauquier County, Virginia.

A list of Thomas Brown's personal property inventoried April 2nd, 1803, discloses the following: One (1) white tithe, himself.

Eight (8) slaves over 16 years of age.

Four (4) slaves above 12 years of age.

Four (4) horses.

In 1802, through Col. John Fairfax, he purchased five hundred and seventy-eight acres of land of William McCleery of Morgantown, situated nine miles west of Kingwood, WV, being the farm known since 1840 as the "Stone House" property. This land cost Thoms Brown two dollars per acre.

In the spring of 1805 he crossed the mountains and removed his family, Negroes, and effects, to this new country. For the first few months of their residence here and until the crops could be grown they purchased corn on what is now known as the "Osborn Place," being the old farm lying on the high ridge between Morgantown and Gladesville.

On May 4th, 1806 his wife, Anna (Ash) Brown, died after suffering from hemorrhage of the lungs for two or three years.

Leaving his sons in charge of the Negroes and the house, in 1810 Thomas Brown returned to his farm in Prince William Co., VA and remained there until about 1817, when he sold the 208 acre farm for $4,000 and returned to Preston County. The Prince William County farm is described as being between Powell's Run and Neabsco, at the intersection of Ewell's Mill Road and the Dumfries' Road, and being near the Woodbine Baptist Church, in Prince William County.

Upon returning to Preston County, son William Brown cared for the elder father until his death in 1844, which was about 27 years in duration. Between 1835 and 1840 son William became the person responsible for actually building the "Stone House", located on the old Kingwood and Clarksburg Road. The walls are of cut stone, very thick and large. The late Ralph Brown, whose family once owned and occupied the house and land in later years related how these huge, hand cut stone were lifted into place to make a two story residence.

His knowledge of the construction is the stones were slid on log ramps to their proper place on the building wall. As the building rose in height, this made the movement of the large cut stone difficult to slide on an upward grade. To alleviate this difficulty, the outward end of the logs had to be raised higher and higher by building a large ring of ever rising dirt around the building, thereby minimizing the incline up which the massive stones had to be slid to their final place in the wall. Upon completion of the height of the building, came then the task of removing this massive circle of earth which surrounded the new home. A close inspection of this very thick and massive wall reflects the joints, corners and alignments are as true today as they were when first put in place, and the chisel marks remain most distinct.

The children of Thomas Brown and Anna (Ash) Brown were: Elizabeth, John Buckner, George, Lydia, Samuel Byrne, William, Mary Ann, and Thomas Francis; eight in all.

The youngest son, Thomas Francis, was taken East and received much better schooling than it was possible to secure west of the mountains in those days.

It is said that about the year 1830 Thomas Brown was offered $20,000 for his Negroes. This sum he refused and seldom, if ever, sold any of them. Thomas Brown told the prospective buyer if the Slaves consented to go, he might then take them. At the time he knew the Slaves would not consent. The buyer displayed the gold, —$20,000. The Slaves still refused to leave and Mr. Brown rejected the offer. In 1833 a disease broke out among them and in the next two years eighteen of them died. The Negro homes stood surrounding the main house, creating a semblance of a small town.

About the year 1833 he received a small pension by virtue of an act of Congress passed in 1832, in recognition of his Revolutionary services.

Although now past seventy years of age he was still very active; an enthusiastic hunger and a daring horseback rider. Reportedly he was of remarkable firm and resolute nature, a man of good sense, who possessed excellent judgement. Though not by any means a good scholar, he had a fair knowledge of arithmetic and was well posted in all affairs pertaining to general business.

He blew his horn to summon his Negroes and his dogs. Dr. William J. Bland, of Weston, WV described his as follows: "He was a small man of extraordinary good health; a very kind man to his Negroes, but the most positive man I ever saw." His granddaughter Ann Stevens and husband Thomas Protzman visited Thomas Brown in 1834 and stated they found him to be a "very clever, kind man, and his family then consisted of himself and about thirty slaves, old and young."

One of his chief characteristics seems to have been his kindness of heart which extended to his horses and his dogs, which he always treated with the greatest consideration and affection. ......His habit of mind may be illustrated by an incident. A Negro boy named Uriah had an injured ankle brought on by an infection of the bone, so he was confined to the house for a long time. Thomas Brown nursed and cared for him until he was well, and Mr. Brown became attached to the boy. At about the time the boy was 12 years of age was given to his son, Samuel Byrne Brown. Having been personally cared for and attended to by the "Master", the boy was spoiled. In the absence of his new master, Samuel Byrne Brown, Uriah ran away and came back to his former home. Samuel came after him with his switch in hand.

Thomas Brown told his son Samuel Byrne that if he whipped the boy he would displease him, and that he, (Samuel) would be sorry for it. Samuel did whip the boy in the presence of the elderly father Thomas Brown. "Here," said he, (Thomas Brown), "you have whipped him and now, I will not give you another thing as long as I live!" True to his word, when he made his Will he cut Samuel off with one dollar.

To his daughter, Mary Ann and her second husband, a Mr. Finch, he had given three Negroes, a horse and some money, but learning that they were not managing these well he refused to given them anything more.

The lands were equally divided between his two youngest sons, William and Thomas Francis, and the personal property was divided equally among the children with the foregoing exceptions.

In the spring of 1843 he was failing but lived on until a Sunday in "oats harvest," in August 1844, when he died, aged 83 years and 11 months.

Genealogy of Thomas Brown and immediate family; P. 51, Genealogy of The Brown Family of Prince William County, VA" by James Edgar Brown, Attorney, Chicago, IL, with recent corrective research as to dates.

Thomas Brown, (William, William) b. 7 Sept 1760, Prince William Co., VA. Married Anna Ash, 20 Oct, 1785, who was born 1763, daughter of George Ash and Mary (Byrne) Ash. Thomas died August 1844, Preston Co., WV. Anna died 4 Mau 1806.

Children of Thomas Brown and Anna (Ash) Brown

1. Elizabeth Brown, b. 17 Aug 1786. m . (1) Benjamin Stevens, 14 Feb 1811; m. (2) Isaac Cartwright. Elizabeth died 25 June 1867. 2 John Buckner Brown, b. 28 Jan 1788; m. Mary Morgan, 1 Mar 1811; John died 15 Sept 1855 in Ohio. 3. George Brown, b. 14 Nov 1789; m. Sarah Bartlett, 28 Oct 1819. George died 14 Dec 1862 in Preston Co., WV. 4. Lydia, b. 22 Oct 1791; burned to death by accident at age 8, while burning brush in a clearing. 5. Samuel Byrne Brown, b. 28 Oct 1793; m. Permelia Zinn, 20 May 1821. Samuel died 18 Mar 1859, Preston, WV. 6. William Brown, b. 6 Mar 1796; died 5 Mar 1885, Preston, WV. Married Rebecca Perdue. 7. Mary Ann Brown, b. 26 Oct 1798; m. (1st) Nathaniel Mundy 1813. Moved to Breckenridge Co., KY. Mundy was killed with a a knife by his slave, Lewis, who was hanged for the crime in Barren Co., KY in 1825, or 1826. Mary Ann married 2nd, ----------Finch, Breckenridge Co., KY. 8. Thomas Francis Brown, b. 4 May 1801; m. Elizabeth Zinn in 1830; died 8 May 1843.

The following,,not included in the published Genealogy, is added based on conversations with other knowledgeable descendants, from my personal and individual research, and visits to the original and current sites.

Thomas Brown, members of his immediate family and possibly others were initially buried in their family cemetery on the farm in Preston County, WV where Thomas Brown and family lived a large portion of their life. This cemetery was located slightly east, and near the site of their original log farm home. The original cemetery site has sunken considerably, and has all but disappeared, though a small grove of trees still shelter the final resting places. Some head stones remnants remain on site though the engraving is obliterated by time and weather.

The current "Stone House" which later became the renown residence is slightly north of the family cemetery site, and was owned and occupied by succeeding Brown generations until recently. It reportedly has been placed on the National Registry of Historical places.

In the late 1920's and early 1930's an effort was made by great grandson Prof. Samuel Boardman Brown, and others, to obtain a government issued bronze marker for the grave of Thomas Brown. Since government markers reportedly were not then available for private cemeteries, the remains of Thomas Brown were removed to the Reedsville Cemetery, Reedsville, Preston County, WV, where a well weathered and aged vertical square stone marker remains, that is approximately four feel tall by four inches on each side square, along with the U.S. Government Bronze marker designating the final resting site of the Revolutionary War soldier and pioneer, Thomas Brown.