American soldier, born in Giles County, TN, on the 6th of January 1827; died in Macon County, TN, on the 17th of August 1889. He was graduated at Jackson College, Tennessee, 1846, and studied law. He traveled extensively in Europe, Asia and Africa, and returning to America was chosen elector of his Congressional district on the Whig ticket in 1860. He entered the military service of the state of Tennessee in 1861 as captain of a company; was elected colonel of a regiment, and transferred to the service of the Confederate States, in which he was successively promoted to the grades of brigadier and major-general. He was made prisoner at Fort Donelson; was a prisoner of war at Fort Warren, MA, and after seven months was exchanged, and re-entered the Confederate army with his command at Chattanooga in September 1862. He was with General Bragg on his Kentucky campaign; participated in the battles of Perryville, KY; Murfreesboro, or Stone River; Chickamauga; Missionary Ridge; Kenesaw Mountain; in the battles near Atlanta, GA; at Jonesboro, GA; and at Franklin, TN. At the latter battle he commanded a division of Tennesseeans (formerly Cheatham’s division), and when the advanced and inferior line of the Federal forces had been stormed and routed, and had sought refuge in their main line, strongly intrenched, and near a half-mile to the rear, he directed his command to “go into the works with them.” His order was obeyed, and a portion of his division, under command of Brigadier-General George W. Gordon, were the only Confederate troops that made a breach in the main line of the Federal works. But the Federals were opportunely re-enforced at that point and the Confederates were driven back to and on the opposite side of the main line of works, Gordon being captured and the battle proving a disaster to the Confederate arms. After the war, General Brown was elected president of the constitutional convention of his state (1870), and was twice elected governor of Tennessee, serving as such from 1871 to 1875. Retiring from public life, he became vice-president of the Texas Pacific railroad, and subsequently became solicitor for Jay Gould’s Western system of railroads, and receiver of the Missouri Pacific railroad.
