Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-05-16
SHORTEST MEMBER.
JOHN BROWN OF LAKE CITY
CLAIMS TO BE SHORTEST G. A.
r. MAN NOW LIVING.
Height Is Four Feet Eleven and Five.
elghths lnches-A Member of Ian.
der Post, No. 1910 Attend State
Encampment.

John Brown of Lake City, who will
attend the state encampment of the
G.. A. R. at Oskaloosa this
week, claims the distinction of being
the shortest living member of the G.
A. r. He is a member of Lander Post
No. 156, and in statement sworn to
before a notary public his height is
given as four feet, eleven and five
eighth inches.
The measurements are said to have
been taken by physician with a level
and tape line while Brown was stand
ing on a hard wood floor. At the ma
tional encampment at San Francisco,
Thomas Merstein of Sioux City
claimed to be the shortest living mem
Der of the G. A. R., his height being
five feet and two inches.
Sketch of His Life.
In an interview Mr.. Brown gave the
following interesting sketch of his life:
II was born in Glasgow, Scotland,
April II, 1886. and passed my early
boyhood days at New Lanark, near the
Falls of the Clyde. In March of the
year 1850 sailed from Liverpool
bound for New Orleans but the ship
was overtaken by a storm and ran
onto sunken reef off the coast Of the
Bahamas and went down. The captain
and officers basely deserted the ship,
taking the only lifeboat, leaving the
passengers at the mercy of the ele-
ments. Fortunately, however, a sec
ond schooner noticed the flag of dis
tress that had been half-masted and
rescued the surviving occupants of the
ship. The captain and deserving 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 we're but few mo-
ments to spare before it sunk. We
were taken to Nassau, New Provi-
dence. After some three weeks we
were landed in New Orleans
Enlisted in Illinois.
From New Orleans came inland to
Peoria, III. Later went to Blooming
ton. It was there at the outbreak of
the war that enlisted in Company H,
Ninety-fourth Illinois volunteers, a
company that was organized at that
city, and whose officers were elected
there. At this time there was lull
in the hcstilities. presume awaiting
orders, and our services were not i'm
mediately required, so that we were
allowed to go to our homes with the
understanding that we were to assem-
Bile at a certain date. When arrived
to report the regiment was in line and
the first lieutenant called the muster.
Ing officers attention to me and was
mustered into the service of the United
States. Immediately we took train
for st. Louis.
Many times have been asked If !
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. / was marching
in the ranks when the commanding of.
1cer and his staff rode past One OF
the staff officers made remark to the
effect that If would ride my knapsack
instead of it riding me, it would look
better.
In Many Engagements.
II participated in all of the engage.
A1OltS III Ni1iSh lily lOSlluCAL 1CuSlll
In all we participated in the following:
Prairie Grove, Ark. siege of Vicksburg
and Yazoo City, Miss, Morganzee, La
Brownsville, Tex, Fort Morgan, Ala.
Pascagoula, Miss, Spanish Fort, Ala
I was mustered out July II, 1865, at
Galveston, Tex, but we of our regi
ment did not receive our discharge pay
until two weeks later. The following
winter decided to visit Scotland and
returned to America in 1866. l was
married at New Lanark January 16
1866, and sailed for New York shortly
after, crossing the ocean my fifth and
last time. | engaged in farming for
one year near Bloomington and then
came to Calhoun county, Iowa, where
| have lived since. have been a
member of Lander post No. 1856 for a
matter of nineteen or twenty years.