Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction . Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives ( specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open to research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Washington Brown Papers, Ms1989-011, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The Washington Brown Papers were purchased by Special Collections and University Archives in 1989.

Processing Information

The processing and description of the Washington Brown Papers commenced and was completed in January 2022.

Biographical Note

Washington Brown, son of Conrad and Elizabeth Ann Brown, was born in Erie County, Pennsylvania on October 22, 1836. He attended Erie Academy and took a course in a New York City commercial college. He worked as a farmer and taught school for one winter term while serving in the Wayne Guards, a local militia. In August 1862, Brown recruited and organized a company of volunteers which would be mustered in as Company I, 145th Pennsylvania Infantry on September 3, with Brown elected company captain. A week later, Brown married Eliza Alexander (ca.1837-1879?) in Girard (Erie County). On December 13, at the Battle of Fredericksburg, Brown was wounded in the right arm and shoulder. His arm was amputated, and Brown died on December 25. He was buried in Erie Cemetery. The 1870 census shows Eliza A. Brown, 33, living in the Girard home of William and Margaret Culbertson. Also in the household is seven-year-old Katie E. Brown.

Scope and Content

This collection contains correspondence and other papers associated with Washington Brown, captain in the 145th Pennsylvania Infantry, who died of wounds received at the Battle of Fredericksburg. Among the correspondence in the collection are four letters from Brown to family members, including a copy of a letter written to his wife on the morning of the battle in which Brown would be fatally wounded; three letters from Brown's parents (Conrad and Elizabeth Brown) and a letter from Conrad Brown to his wife, written from the hospital in which his son was recovering; letters from Ed L. Taylor, Lt. James H. Hamlin, George Coleman, and Conrad Brown regarding the personal effects of Washington Brown; and a letter from John C. Sennett and George Royer of Company I convalescing in the post hospital near Alexandria. The collection also includes an invoice for the use of a hearse from C. W. Stuart of Erie; a copy of the last words of Washington Brown; and a "personal memoir" containing brief biographical information on Washington Brown.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Civil War
• United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the Washington Brown Papers by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).