Evening star., 1900-09-17


mander of the Columbia Commandery of
Knights Tempar. of which. General Gar
field was a member, and accompanied his
commandery to Cleveland as guard of honor
to the murdered President. He belonged TO
the Scottish Rite Masons, to Lafayette
Lodge. F. A. A. M, and to the first G. A.
r, post organized, the John A Rawlins.
He member of the District command
cry, Society of the Loyal Legion, and will
be buried at Arlington. The funeral SER
vices will take place Tuesday at St Johns
Episcopal Church, corner of H and 10th
streets.
General Bovine was always a good church
man. Years ago he served as one of the
wardens of old Christ Church, navy yard,
with the late Admiral Poore who was then
commandant Of the navy yard. For sew
enteen years he attended Epiphany Church,
in the Sunday school of which he had a
large Bible class Of young men. among
the last few years General Browne has
attended st. Johns. for whose rector DR..
Mackay- Smith. he had warm admiration.
He also helped to organize st. Andrews
Church.
His Ancestry.
General Brownies father was the last of
long line of ancestral officers in the En-
glish army, from the revocation Of the
edict of Nantes, when Col. Brounet, a
French Huguenot, fed from France and en-
tered the British service. His mother was
Montgomery of Scotland, and on her side
there were many officers In the English
navy. Capt. Browne father of William H..
resigned from the army in order to give his
growing family more settled home. He
was appointed by the king president
of the Adelaide Society of Canada, which
society appropriated crown lands for the
use Of its soldiers. The captain, however.
had studied the profession of law, and
fancied the United States for a future
home. He settled in New York, where he
had fine practice and made the acquain-
n0 Gf fha list ,tictn. Of Sc n
Gen Scctt was warm personal friend
of the family. and it was through his in
fiuence that William II. Browne went to
Mexico d second lieutenant at the age of
eighteen He fought through all the bat
ties from Vera Cruz, De la Rey, Chere-
busco, Chepultepec, to the taking of the
City of Mexico. He was promoted to a
first ieutenancy, brey cited captain, and re-
ceived medals and more substantial honors
from the state of New York. Gen. Scott
referred to him in after years as my gal
liant brother officer, who fought with me
with honor in Mexico, and who adds legal
acumen to laurels Won in battle"
Gen Browne was a member of the New
York City Troop. the Fusieers, and the
regiment now widely known as the
famous 7th. Gen. Scott wished to place
him in the permanent service. but his
father objected, having designed him for
the profession of law. Before he was
thirty he had been nominated for judge,
but his party was defeated. He was Of
fered the nomination to Congress from his
district but declined He was president Of
over twenty republican clubs in New York
city, when that party first had birth, and
was chairman of the meeting which nomi-
mated John G. Fremont for the presidency.
Gen. Browne left growing and lucrative
law~practice upon the breaking out of the
civil war TO fight for the flag he loved. He
raised at his own expense, fourteen COM
panies, more than half of whom were
marched to Albany to fill up regiments in
process of formation. Finally he and the
late Judge Calvin T.. Pratt of New York
Joined forces. forming the 31st Regiment
/ of New York Volunteers, of which Judge
Pratt was colonel and Gen. Browne leu
tenant colonel. and Asa Bird Gardiner. the
present district attorney of New York city
IA student in Brownies office, was
lieutenant Shortly afterward Gen. Browne
was promoted to the colonelcy of the 36th
New York. He led a mixed brigade of six
regiments at the second battle of Freder-
icksburg, being terribly wounded at Salem
Church.
The late Col. Enoch Totten was present
at this battle and never wearied of praisng
the gallant courage of Gen. Brownies as
sault
CompIimented by Gen. Sedsvick.
Gen Sedgwick, in personal communica-
| ton TO Col. Browne, under date of August
II, 1868, said. among other things:
1T Is with no ordinary pleasure that /
seize this occasion to add my testimony to.
and express my admiration for the ability
! as an officer. the high attainments as gen.
tieman. and the solderiy qualities, which
have marked your career from your en-
trance into the service and which you
colonel, have so often exhibited while serv-
ing in my command during the last winter
and spring. When you passed from the
command of your regiment to that of the
brigade OF which ii formed part ii was
but TO win a not insignificant addition to
| that reputation of which your fellow-offi-
| GERS We're SO justly proud, and which your
| friends cannot too warmly cherish.
| "Of Your gallantry and undaunted bravery
| on the occasion of storming the heights of
| Fredericksburg, while at the head of your
brigade, and subsequently. the hotly
| contested field of Salem Heights, where you
| received your agonzng wound l cannot
| speak with too much praise
Assigned to Invalid Corps.
Although eager to return to active serv-
| ice. Colonel Brownies wounds prevented,
and President Lincoln appointed him as
colonel OF the invalid corps. He was as
| signed to command the I'd Brigade Of the
/ Veteran Reserve Corps. all the six ccionels
ot which were his seniors IN rank. Subse-