The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-06-02

= lb nome. our respect warns
into admiration and nelts into love, we
behold the image of our common humanity
reflected and magnif1ed in him as q cher
, ished ideal. Death which makes sacred
every thing it touches throws a mild halo
around his memory and we bring year after
year to his grave all we now have to give,
= the poor tribute of our flowers and tears.
Many of you no doubt know well the sub
Ject of my theme and have done yourselves
honor in baptizing your association of time
, worn and battle-scared veterans, that by
, that baptism you may perpetuate the
,, memory of so patriotic citizen, so good
and kind a father, SO faithful friend and
so pure man was the Rev. Jos. Brown.
May the Post that now bears his name, con-
7 tinue to grow in popular favo, and exert
an influence for good in this neghborhood,
until the last hunored soldier whose name
, may now or hereafter he borne upon its
, muster shall answer roll call in the bvouac
, OF the Grand Army, as they are marshaled
10y the Great | Am, on the green fields of
the New Jerusalem. Time would not per-
! nit nor would it be altogether appropriate
for me, upon an occasion like this to 90 into
a detailed account of the services rendered
and the sutierlngs endured by our departed
friend, as chaplain of the Sixth Regiment
OF Maryland Volunteers who's fortunes he
shared from September, 1862 to February,
1864. | should do violence to my own feel
|
. diligence for Il few moments while | briefly
review some of the scenes passed through
and may be some OF he incidents connected
with the war record of Chaplain Brown.
From September 20, 1862 the date on which
his regiment left Baltimore under the com
mand of that noble old son of Cecil county,
Col. George r. Howard, for the seat of war
and June IL, 1868 much laborious work was
performed upon the picket line, in the
trenches and by marches and counter
marches, all of which being essentially ne
ceSsary in preparing the command for the
great death struggle upon which they were
soon TO enter as a component part of the
great army of the Potomac.
June II and 10 1862, We're days long to
be remembered by the chaplain and the
command to which he minstered as on
them both received their first real baptism
| of fire and leaden hail, which for the reg-
ment proved but the sharpening of the
sword for the bloody work which was to
follow, while for him and many other as
loyal hearts as ever beat beneath the blue,
| it proved the dawning of Il life worse than
death within the walls of n prison where
the cries of the starving and the means of
the dying We're the musical accompani-
ments for their mattin prayers and their
evening prisons. From this abode of misery
was he called and compelled to draw from
| Il box or other receptacle in which wele
| Dlactu lne names Oh MS ltllOW prisoners
holding the rank of captain, two who were
| to be held as hostages for the safety of
| FitZhugh Lee, then n prisoner in the hands
of our forces, the lot falling upon Captains
Sawyer and Flynn, and as it was supposed
at that time the two thus drawn We're to be
hung, you can imagine the effect upon the
mental faculties of this man of God passed
as he already had the meridian of life with
physical health more or less impaired, pos
seSsed with child-like simplicity and an I'M
bounded love for his fellow man. This
taken in connection with the privations he
there endured, doubt not sowed the seeds
of disease which eliminated in taking this
good and true man, prematurey we think,
from the field of his usefulness to Il never
ending eternity.
In the scope of these remarks, I can only
speak of the battles and incidents Herewith
connected. in which Mr. Brown participant
ed, | must pass over the struggles in which
his regiment bore conspicuous part, COW
ering a period of five months of his life
spent in Libby which also proved five
months in which to decimate the command
and come to November, 1868, when he re-
joined at Brandy station, constituting as it
then did part ofthe Sd Army Corps under
the command of that veteran Maryland
soldier, Maj. Gen. French, and what n
few months in that prison had brought
about, he seemed to have grown suddenly
old, his emacated form and Ragged eye
told but too plainly that the war history of
our parson soldier was near its close, and
that he was then totally unfit to stand the
deprivation and fatigue incident to an ac-
tive campaign. Yet no murmur COM
| plant against his treatment by the South
ern authorities ever escaped his lips. If
may except the fact that his whole soul re-
volted against the necessity, if necessity it
could be called, of making him the unwill
,lrl, y ,Ntp
human being intended for execution.
He often expressed the hope that as the
season was far advanced, and winter near
! when it would be impossible to conduct
active operations i'll the field, he might find
time to rest and recuperate his shattered
| frame, and thus be able TO take part in the
campaign of 1851 But how was his hopes
dispelled, when, on the 9th day of Novcm-
Der, orders We're given the army to cross the
Rapdan and give the enemy battle in their
stronghold in the Wilderness along the
Mine Run. The command crossed the river
at a place called Jacobs Mill Ford, about
one hour before sunset, with orders to join
the rest of the army at place called An
derSon's Tavern & may he mistaken in he
| nameS), by the way of the Charlottesville
road. Orders are easily given, however,
hut at times not so easily executed The
| Third Corps found l. Sc on this and other
occasions. We had not far advanced before
the SkirmiSh line came in contact with that
of General Ewell, who had been sent to
| block the charlottesville road, prevent
General French uniting his corps with the
rest of the army, and, if possible, get in his
rear. Night being upon us, we fell back
near the rivers bank, sleepng ON our arms
! for the night. And right here | cannot re-
! siSt telling all amusing incident that
then took place. The weather being quite
cool, might almost say cold Some of us
l.,l ,1. 3
making Il large fire against tree, and pre-
pared to sleep for the night provided al
ways), If we could get the consent of our
| Southern friends. After several of us had
gotten nicely under our blankets, with Il
log for a pillow, Mr. Brown, who had been
warming himself by the fire, at the same
time watching the preparations being made
| said: " Colonel, what are Won going to do
with me ":'' 81 replied "Come to bed,
parson." Sending non commissioned Of
ticer to his horse for his blankets (of which
he had good supply and getting part of
them with his assistance carefully spread
and others wrapped around him, sat down
and for a moment surveyed the situation
and then exclaimed, as he laid his head
upon the wooden pillow: go, if Milly
Brown and the children could see the old
man tonight Tuck me in, Sergeant Major,
tuck me in, Sergeant Major Howe, to
! whom he spoke and who now sleeps near
| the spot where he lay, did so, tenderly, al.
most lovingly; and after listening to 4 short
| prayer offered up by him to the God of bat
| ties, he sang in sweet, low tones, which yet
| fingers in my ears, a verse of a fayorite
| hymn often sung by him
| Well be there; We'll be there:
Crowns of victory, palms of glory we shall
wear,
! In hat beautiful world on high.
With these dying notes that little band
was soon in troubled dreams. Next Inorn-
| ing the march was resumed, but in line of
| battles the enemy having retired during
| the night to a more favorable position. We
| did not strike them until about noon when
almost in the twnkling of an eye, without
a momeEts warning, the battle opened with
terrific fury. Mr.. Brown, who was with
me at the time finding himself in shower
of bullets hurriedly inquired: "What must
do"' The reply was, Go to the rear,
| parson, and assist in caring for the wound
ed and dying" which he did in his en-
feehled condition manfully and well. When
| night ended the conflict, Ewell had been
driven back, the road opened So that the
army could be united, which was done, but
no definite results obtained. 1t being con-
Sidered impossible at that season of the
year to drive Lee from his entertainments,
the army returned to the north bank of the |
| Itapidan and went into winter quarters,
after reconnaissance it might he called |
covering live days. Yet those five days
proved too much Of strain upon the shat
tered constitution of our friend and viz |
tually put an end to his services in the field |
compelling him, two months thereafter, to
resign his commission and return to his
ln'na n no aplp of iyta Inc