Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-12-03
For the Standard.
The late Capt. w. C. Brown, of the I4Ih Reg
iment N. e.. TrOODs.
z. Il. WILEY,
Supt. Com. Schools, N. c.

Mr.. ToR:-That the name and character Of
our worthy dead may be preserved to surviving
frieEiS, and transmitted as heritage to those who
shall come after please give space in your paper for
the following brief skeicn of the accomplished and
lamentcd Capt W. CALEB DRowN, of the l4th Resi.
ment n c. Troops.
The subject of tins sketch was born in Dayton,
Ohi" March lst, 1852, but at the age Of ten years
came with his father to North Carolina of which
State he remained citizen up to the time of his
DEATH In his earlier years he received an extensive
and substantial education, fully qualifying him for
an honorable position in any business to which he
might have directed his attention.
In 1851 ne went to California, but returned in
1855, and in 1857 entered the law office of the Hon
or,,i.s, now Governor q. D. Vance. in the town Of
ASimville, Buncombe County, N. c.
His Industry and application to study were all
that his friends could desire, and he soon became
the much esteemed business partner and friend of
Mr.. Vance. He continued the practice of law in
connection with Mr.. Vance until the breaking out
of the war in 1861. AS lawyer and business man
he was accurate, energetic, and persevering while
scrupulous honesty and sterling integrity ex-
enpiiied in every transaction, and consequence,
the confidence and esteem of all were secured and
strengthened by an intimate acquaintance. His
political priEc pies strongly conservative, and
he sternly resisted the fanacism, North and South,
which he believed would result, in its practical
workings in the disruption of the heaven born gov
ernment OF his fathers.
But Mr.. Brown, hke perhaps, four ffths of his
fellow citizens of the State, who, although utterly
opposed to the doctrine of secession. after the pro-
csEaton of Lincoln, calling on North Carolina for
troops to compel the cotton States to honor and
obey the Constitution while laws subversive Of and
dshonorin5 that sacred compact stood in full force
the statute books oseTera of the Northern Staes
refused to obey that proclamation, and, with his
~
composed The Rough and Ready Guards" the
second volunteer company organized in the County
of Euncomhe, Of which Hon. z B. Vance was chpsen
Captain. This company with others, constituted
what was at first the 4th and afterward the 14th
Regiment N. G. Volunteers.
Mr. Brown soon won the confidence and esteem
of his Colonel, and held various positions of honor
aud responsibility in his gment He acted as Aid
to his Colonel in tho battle of Seven Pines-was the
regular Quartermaster of the Regiment and, at one
time, of the brigade to which his regiment was at
tachcd-and at the time of his demise, held the two
fold office Of Pay and Quartermaster of his regiment
In all these important positions he exhibited those
traits of character, industry accuracy, honesty, f.
deity and puuctuality essential to a business man
while his gentlemanly manners aid department rem
dercd him agreeable and secured the esteem of ALL
Capt Browns moral character, so far rs known
by the writer, was irreproachable-a suspicion
As an Illustration of the noble and generous i'm
pulses of his nature and the susceptibility of his
heart to the emotions and sentiments of refined
friendship, in reply to letter Of sympathy touch
ing the death of his brother, Lieut.. Samuel Brown,
who had died few months before in the camp, in
which he had been pointed to the Scrptural sources
of consolation, he wrote, in May to the author of
this sketch, "You have my most sincere thanks for
your very kind sympathy as expressed in your let
ter Such letters can be received by soldier,
who has any feeling, without doing good and ma
king him feel that he has some friends still left be.
hind worth fighting and struggling for, and must
nerve him to renewed e4erton the hour of trial."
His health was much impaired by the climate Of
the Peninsula, exposure, and overwork III the faith
full discharge of the onerous duties of his Offices aud
worn down by work and disease on the 23d of June,
he retired T.. private house in Richmond, hoping
that quetude, rest and kind nursing, in the Provi-
dence of God, would soon restore his wasted ener-
ges. But his disease soon developed case of ty-
phoid fever, which baffled the skill of physicians
and, notwithstanding the kindest nursing. termina-
ted his mortal life.
Soon after his confinement he expressed to Mrs.
Taylor his kind hostess, nurse friend, and spirit
ual adviser, some anxiety about his Official Reports,
DC, ahd his first care was to put every thing IN
exact order; and when all was arranged to his sat
isfaction, he remarked" Now l can rest" From
this time the interests of his soul were his allab-
sorbing concern.
A few days after his sickness began, he said to
Mrs. Taylor" You have been very kind and done
much for me, but want to ask you to do something
more-miaister to the uants of my soul feel very
anxious and troubled about it." His nurse says,
"during his illness he thought of his past e of his
mothers prayers, and the holy influence of home,