Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-13
TIMOTHY BROWN LIES BURIED IN
WASHINGTON COUNTY.
FOUGHT WITH GEN. WASHINGTON
Legislature to Be Asked to Appropriate
Funds for a Monument to Mark the
Grave-In Country Graveyard Tram.
pied Over by Cattle.

no one buried Within her borders VINO
fought in the Revolutionary war and
it is probable that there are very few
within the borders of the state. Down
in pasture in Washington county
there is the grave of Timothy Brown,
a Revolutionary soldier, who fought
with Washington. The exact location
of the grave is likely soon to be for
gotten if something is not done at
once to give it permanent marking.
Brown came to the state more than
half century ago and was one of
the prominent pioneers.
The next legislature will probably
be asked to appropriate a small sum
FOR the erection of a permanent and
appropriate monument over the grave.
In one or two instances this has been
done by the legislature and if the
request is made, as it likely will be,
1t is believed that the grant will be
made. The history of Timothy Brown
as told in recent issue of Wash
ington county paper, is as follows:
Buried in Pasture.
Timothy Brown was an old Revo-
lutionary soldier, and he lies buried
in neglected old cemetery half a
tance east of Gracehill. He has been
buried there for over half a. century,
and it is only by tradition that his
interesting record may be found. Ev-
cry old settler in the community
knows of Timothy Brown and knows
that he was in Che war of the Revolu-
tion, but very few, if any, know of the
facts or seem to have realized the his
80, 80 Sc
buried in what rs known as the Todd
cemetery. 1t has been in disuse for
at least twenty years. 1t is in the
middle of big pasture and the cattle
roam over it at will. The only indi
cation Of graveyard is an occasional
stone that has not been broken off by
the cattle, and the presence of the
highly fragrant herb known in the
vernacular of The frontier as old
Man.
Perhaps a hundred persons lie
buried there. Some have lain there
since territorial days. All are neg
lected A few had marble slabs, but
all are broken off except half dozen
We hold that this grave of Timothy
Brown ought to be better cared for
Not that he is any better than many
others buried there, but for the his
torical value. He is the only soldier
of the war for independence buried in
the county. We hold that this county
owes it to his memory that he be Civ
en- suitable burial and a monument tt
mark his resting place.
Came to Iowa In 1886.
Gle came to Iowa. as near as his
granddaughter can recall, in 1916
She came few years before with hel
parents. This woman is Mrs. Martir
Heating, and her husband was mem
Der of the Twenty-fifth Iowa. Hel
maiden name was Elizabeth Oliver
and her mother was Nancy Brown
daughter of Timothy Brown.
Mrs. Heating is 76 years old, hav
ing been born in Franklin county
Ind, May 80, 1927. Her father dice
before they came to Iowa. Her grand
father, the subject of this article
came about two years later. She does
not know the exact date of his death
but she knows that he got a pension
and from there it will be an easy mat
ter to find all about his history. Sht
has some sisters living; one, Mrs. Han
nah Lowe, living near Aurora, Neb
~
ten went to the barn and got out he
grandfather's horse in order that h,
might go to Corydon, Ind, to get hi
pension. He came to Indiana, as al
ready stated, before coming to Iowa.
In Battle of Brandywine.
GAS nearly as we can tell now, h
was from New Jersey. Mrs. Keatin
recalls wildly that her grandmothe
was born in New Jersey, and she ca
remember her grandmother telling he
that they used to play along the Sc
coast and would lay on the beach an
allow the waves to roll over them.
"She also recalls that her grand
mother used to tell them how the
had to march in winter with nothin
on their feet till they could be tract
4 ed by the blood. he was in the ba
tie of Brandywine. and she recollect
hearing him tell about it, and, c
course, in many other battles, but sh
does not remember the name {
them. She does remember very dis
tinctly him telling about the surrel
der of Lord CORVALLIS at yorktown
He told them many times the spc
where he stood as soldier when TIL
commanding officer turned his SWor
over to the American commander.
Seven Years in Service.
Timothy Brown went to the arm
as a substitute for his father, JOSEF
Brown, who was drafted into the ser
vice, and the son went to take th
place of the father. Can you think
any more steadfast loyalty to kindre
and to country than that? And ev
IDENTIFY, he must have been mere be
at the time. He was in the servit
the full seven years, but for the co
rect record of his regiment and his Sc
vice we are awaiting word from I'll
pension department, where it will Xix
ly be found.
Mrs. Heating has remnants of Il
old family Bible, but it does not gi'
as full an account of her grandfath
as one could wish. 1t does state, ho'
ever, that Timothy Brown was ma
ried to Saley Martin, January II, 17S
This means Sallie Martin. This
from the family record in the Bib
Among the deaths 1t says 'Saley Mart
died April 5, 1882, about O'Clock
the evening. We trust she has e,
changed this world of sin and snfferir