This other JOHN BROWN

Our John Brown was born in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, on April 11th 1836, and as he liked to point out, it was "near the falls of the Clyde."

His father, an officer in the Royal Navy, resigned his commission soon after the death of his wife, Catherine, and in March of 1850 sailed from Liverpool with his four young sons, hoping to build a secure life in the new world. The long journey, however, was not without peril. Nearing the Gulf of Mexico a hurricane caught up with the ship. It foundered and was cast upon a reef. John then recounts an amazing story of survival.

Contrary to the law of the sea, the captain and crew apparently departed in the only lifeboat and left the passengers to the elements. For three perilous days the ship hung on the reef slowly breaking up. Fortunately, a passing ship happened along, saw their signal of distress, and rescued the remaining passengers. Immediately the wreck washed out to sea and was lost.

Scottish Church records indicate the date of John's birth most frequently given (11 April 1836) is actually a christening date. John was approximately fourteen years old when, he came to America with his father and three brothers. The harrowing story of his trip, his later service in the Union Army, and his life in general is possibly the most inspiring of all our ancestors.

The following account is taken from the HISTORY OF CALHOUN COUNTY, IOWA, published in 1904. It is also paraphrased in part in an article published a year earlier in the October 29th 1903 issue of the Lake City Graphic with additional details regarding his stature added. The complete text of both references are entered here along with a reference to ship's passenger lists:

Original text:

JOHN BROWN

Every land on the face of the globe has added to the American citizenship, but no country has sent a more loyal and valuable class to the United States than has Scotland, whose sturdy, determined, courageous and upright sons have contributed to improvement and progress in every section of the country in which they have located. Mr. Brown, who is now living in Lake City, came from the land of hills and heather, his birth having occurred in Glascow, April 11, 1836. His parents were John and Catherine (Williams) Brown, in whose family were four sons: Alexander, now deceased; John; Benjamin W.; and George, who has also passed away. The mother died about 1846, and in 1850 the father came with his children to the new world. For ten years he had been an officer in the English navy and resigning his position he crossed the Atlantic. The vessel in which he sailed was shipwrecked off the coast of the Bahama Islands, and there, after three days, a good many passengers and sailors were rescued. The following day the vessel was swept out to sea and lost. John Brown, the father, went to Nassau, New Providence, and after three weeks proceeded by schooner to New Orleans, where he remained for a short time, going thence to Peoria, Illinois. On the expiration of a year he removed to McLean county, Illinois, settling near Bloomington, where he purchased a farm. Three years later, however, the old home was broken up, the father going to La Salle, Illinois, where he died about 1858. The brother of our subject was a soldier of the Civil war, joining Company E, Eighth Illinois Infantry, and was wounded in the battle of Fort Donelson. He built the first business block in Sabine, Texas, and is now serving as postmaster in that place.

Our subject was a youth of fourteen when, with his father, he said good-by to his native land and sailed for the new world. He well remembers the incidents of that perilous voyage. He accompanied his father on his various removals until 1857 when he went to La Salle, Illinois, but remained there only a short time, returning to McLean county, where he worked on a farm until after the inauguration of the Civil war. Aroused by a spirit of patriotism he enlisted in defense of his adopted land, on the first of August, 1862, becoming a member of Company H, Ninety-fourth Illinois Infantry, under the command of Captain Orme, joining the regiment at Bloomington, in McLean County, where it was organized, under Colonel Orme, and in ten days was sent to the front. At this time John McNulta was lieutenant-colonel. At the promotion of Colonel Orme to brigadier-general, Mr. McNulta was promoted to colonel, having charge of the regiment throughout the remainder of the war. The command was sent to Benton Barracks, St. Louis, and then attached to the Army of the Frontier, participating in the engagements at Prairie Grove, the Van Buren Campaign and the siege of Vicksburg. After the fall of Vicksburg the division ascended the Yazoo river and captured Yazoo city. On their return to Vicksburg they were transferred to the Department of the Gulf, under General Banks, and went down the river to Port Hudson, but took no active part in the engagement, the surrender there having occured shortly before the arrival of this division. Next the troops proceeded to New Orleans and participated in the battle of Morganza Bend. At that time General Banks was organizing an expedition to invade Texas, and the Ninety-fourth Illinois was called to take part, sailing from New Orleans across the gulf of Mexico, to Brazos, Santiago, landing near where the Rio Grande empties into the gulf. They marched to Brownsville and the city surrendered to the regiment, which then raised the stars and stripes. It might be said that this regiment helped to establish two republics, that of the United States and of Mexico, for Maximillian was then trying to establish an empire in Mexico. Afterward our subject recrossed the gulf of Mexico and took part in the Mobile campaign, going with General Farragut to reduce the forts at the entrance of Mobile bay. Thus it was that Mr. Brown took part in the battle of Mobile bay and the siege of Spanish Fort. His regiment was there stationed when the war practically came to an end, but it was sent to Galveston, Texas, where it remained for some time, the troops being mustered out there July 19, 1865. In August, following, Mr. Brown received an honorable discharge, at Springfield, Illinois, and returned thence to Bloomington.

In the fall of 1865 he crossed the Atlantic once more and for a short time visited in his native land, viewing the scenes of childhood and renewing the friendships of his youth. When he again came to the United States, he engaged in farming near Bloomington, Illinois, for a year and in the spring of 1868 he went to Washington county, Iowa, where he purchased a tract of land, continuing its cultivation until 1875, when he came to Calhoun county. Here for twenty- seven years he resided upon his farm in Lake Creek township. He still owns this property but in 1898 he removed to Lake City, where he has since resided, but he still owns his farm and derives therefrom a good income.

Mr. Brown was married in New Lanark, near the falls of Clyde, in Scotland, on the 16th of January, 1866, the lady of his choice being Elizabeth Dickson, a daughter of George Dickson, also of New Lanark. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Brown have been born the following named: Ella May, deceased; Douglas, a moulder of New Bedford, Massachusetts; Ada, the wife of Henry Knisely, of Sac City, Iowa; Arthur, a resident farmer of Calhoun county; Catherine, now married and living in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Walter, who is engaged in the laundry business in Ida Grove, Iowa; George, who is with his parents; Donald, who died in infancy; and Jeanie Belle, who resides with her parents. In his political affiliations Mr. Brown has been a stanch Republican since casting his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln and has never wavered in his advocacy to the principles of the party, which preserved the Union in the dark days of the Civil war and which has ever stood for advancement, progress and the protection of all American institutions. He belongs to Lander Post, No. 156, G. A. R., and thus maintains pleasant relationship with his old army comrades. In the years of his active business career he made the most of his opportunities, and his thrift, enterprise and diligence enabled him to overcome all obstacles in his path and advance steadily to the plane of success, so that he is now enabled to live retired in the enjoyment of a well earned rest and the fruits of his former toil.

*Ed. Notes:

Research of passenger arrival records at the port of New Orleans reveals that a ship, the SS Rover out of New Providence, Nassau, captained by Wm Sawyer, arrived in the port of New Orleans with two John Brown entries. The record is as follows:

(The symbol ----?---- above indicates faded ink, impossible to read.)

All passengers except these last few were listed as Irish. These last were boldly noted as being from England. Of course, John Brown tells that he embarked from Liverpool, England, in March of 1850. The only flaw is that the Rover arrived in New Orleans on June 10th, in 1853, not 1850.

Unlike other records of the same period, there was no record of baggage or possessions of the passengers, which supports the likelihood their possessions were lost in the storm.

Another slight error in recording his age is that John says he was born on April 11, 1836. In actuality Scottish church records indicate April 11th as the date of his christening. Those same Scottish records show brother Benjamin W. Brown was born on April 16, 1838 and George Brown is given a birth date of February 28th 1840, making George at least 12 years old in 1853. While the ship's log is not identical it is a close approximation of the records of the Scottish church. Similarly, the above article reports John's mother's maiden name as Williams, however the Scottish church records shows her name to be Catherine Williamson.

One must remember that 50 years had passed by the time John was asked to recount his early life. We suspect John left Liverpool with his father and brothers in late March of 1853 and reached New Orleans on June 10th of that year, celebrating the anniversary of his christening while at sea.

Original text:

LAKE CITY GRAPHIC.

SEVENTEENTH YEAR.

LAKE CITY, CALHOUN COUNTY, IOWA,

OCTOBER 29, 1903.

NUMBER 46.

SHORTEST LIVING G. A. R. MAN.

FACT IS NOW ESTABLISHED BE-
YOND DOUBT THAT JOHN BROWN IS THE MAN.

Resident of Lake City is the Shortest Living member of the G. A. R.

His Picture and Several of the Interesting Events of His Life

Are Here Published for the First Time.

It is now established beyond any reasonable doubt that John Brown of this city is the shortest living member of the Grand Army of the Republic. His interest in the matter of proving that he was such, was aroused by an article that appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle during the encampment of the Grand Army in that city this fall. The article was an interview with one Thomas Meirstein, of Sioux City, who was present at the encampment and who in this interview claimed that he has the distinction of being the smallest living member. This interview was quite widely copied and the printing of it in the Sioux City Tribune brought the claims to Mr. Brown’s notice. Immediately he was convinced that he would fall short of Meirstein’s measurement of 5 feet and 2 inches and he proceeded to have himself measured. By this measurement his convictions were confirmed for it was found that he barely measured four feet eleven and five-eighths inches, thus beating his rival by almost two and one-half inches. His measurements were published in The Graphic soon after the publication of the Sioux City article.

State of Iowa,

Calhoun County,

I Richard Botsford, first being duly sworn on oath depose and say that I am a resident of Lake City, Ia., and I am a practicing physician and surgeon, that I am well acquainted with one John Brown of Lake City, Iowa, who was a private in Company "H," Ninety-fourth Illinois infantry, during the war of the rebellion, and who is a now a member of Lander Post No. 156, Lake City , G. A. R., that on the 1st day of September, A. D. 1903, said John Brown came to my office in Lake City, Iowa, and that I found his height to be four feet eleven and five-eighths inches I further state that said John Brown was standing on a hard wood floor, and that the measurement was made with a level and a tape line, and that said John Brown is not stooped from age.

Dated this 1st day of September, A. D. 1903

Subscribed in my presence and sworn to before me this 1st day of September, A. D. 1903

Much interest having been aroused by the publication of Mr. Brown’s claims, the following sketch of his early and army life will be highly interesting to people in general. Mr. Brown says of himself:-- "I was born in Glasgow, Scotland, April 11, 1836, and passed my early boyhood days at New Lanark, near the Falls of the Clyde. In March of the year 1850, I sailed from Liverpool bound for New Orleans, but the ship was overtaken by a storm and ran onto a sunken reef off the coast of the Bahamas and went down. The Captain and officers had __ already __ed ____ taking the only life boat and leaving the passengers to the mercy of the elements. Fortunately however, a schooner noticed the flag of distress that had been half masted and rescued the surviving occupants of the ship. The captain and deserting crew had been picked up before this and notified the papers that they were the only survivors and had only left the ship when there were but a few minutes to spare before it sunk. We were taken to Nassau, New Providence. After some three weeks we were landed in New Orleans. From New Orleans I came inland to Peoria, Ill. Later I went to Bloomington. It was here at the outbreak of the war that I enlisted in Company H. of the 94th Illinois volunteers, a regiment company that was organized at this city and whose officers were elected there. At this time there was a lull in the hostilities, I presumed awaiting orders, and our services were not immediately required so that we were allowed to go to our homes with the understanding that we were to assemble at a certain date. When I arrived to report, the regiment was in line and the first lieutenant called the mustering officer’s attention to me and I was mustered into the service of the United States. Immediately we took the train for St. Louis. Many times have I been asked if I was not questioned in regard to my height during my service. Only once was any notice taken of me in that way and that was during the long march from Wilson Creek, Mo., to Prairie Grove, Ark. I was marching in the ranks when the commanding officer and his staff rode past. One of the staff officers made a remark to the effect that I should ride my knapsack instead of it riding me, it would look better. I participated in all the engagements in which my regiment fought. In all we participated in the following: Prairie Grove, Ark.; Van Buren, Ark.; Siege of Vicksburg and Yazoo City, Miss.; Morganzee, La.; Brownsville, Texas,; Fort Morgan, Ala.; Pascagoula, Miss.; and Spanish Fort, Ala.; I was mustered out July 17, 1865, at Galveston, Texas but we of our regiment did not receive our discharge and pay until two weeks later. The following winter I decided to visit Scotland and returned to America in 1866. I was married at New Lanark, January 16, 1866, and sailed for New York shortly after, crossing the ocean the fifth and last time. I engaged in farming for one year near Bloomington, Ill., and then came to Calhoun county, Iowa, where I have lived since. I have been a member of Lander Post, NO. 156, for seventeen or eighteen years."

(The photo at the top of this page followed with caption)

The above picture of Mr. Brown shows him with his old Springfield rifle and the cartridge box which he carried throughout his service.

A note:

John Brown passed away on the 8th of January 1923. His wife, Lizzy, died the following day, prompting the following passage in the Lake City Graphic:

A final note:

If you have any comments or suggestions please send

to Robert E. Armstrong DVM, MS.
This page last updated November 23rd 1996.