John R. Brown

b. circa 1829
  • John R. Brown was born circa 1829 in Alabama.
  • Billie Wood wrote from Oxford, Georgia, to his mother Evelina Barnes Wood in Alabama, on 1 August 1848, ". . . I may get to see John before the vacation is out. . . ."
  • Billie Wood wrote from Oxford, Georgia, to his mother Evelina Barnes Wood in Alabama, on 20 March 1849, ". . . I expect John B- is thinking about marrying, as he has quit College & is acting the Gentleman. . . ."
  • Lizzie Green Wood wrote from Montgomery, Alabama, to Mike Powell in Texas on 7 December 1849. . . [UND:]John Brown[:UND] is to be married the first of next month to Sallie Murdock - I don’t envy her lot - for he is anything but smart - but her desires take with that family. . . ."
         There appears to be no evidence that this marriage took place, and no trace of Sallie Murdock has yet been found after the 1850 census.
  • Eliza Dixon Hall appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1850 in Montgomery County, Alabama. Other members of the household included John R. Brown, Thomas Bolling Brown, George Washington Brown, Mary Eliza Brown and Milton A. Brown.
  • He was a farmer, according to the 1850 census.
  • On Sunday, 11 May 1851, Green Wood recorded in his plantation daily account book: "John R. Brown got here about 8 o'clock last night."
  • On Thursday, 22 May 1851, Green Wood recorded in his plantation daily account book: "J. C. Abercrombie and Lady came down this evening," and on Friday, the 23rd, "Lizzie, J. Brown and Campbell and Len [Abercrombie] all went home with J. C. A. and Lady."
  • On Sunday, 8 June 1851, Green Wood recorded in his plantation daily account book: "G. M. Wood's family and Willis Wood and family spent last night and today with us, also Doctor Harris and J. R. Brown."
  • On Saturday, 14 June 1851, Green Wood recorded in his plantation daily account book: "Went to review and Blaze out road to McNeese's, continued on to his house," and on the following day, "Major John R. Brown and myself returned from Mr. McNeese's 1/2 past 1 o'clock."
  • On Monday, 23 June 1851, Green Wood recorded in his plantation daily account book: "Done very little work, nearly all hands looking for J. R. B."
  • On Thursday, 31 July 1851, Green Wood recorded in his plantation daily account book: "Sent J. Brown's trunk to Montgomery and Wm B. W. went over with him and saw him start for Alabama on the Stage."
  • It has proved difficult to follow John R. Brown and Milton A. Brown forward, except that it appears that they both served in the military during the Civil war. It is an educated guess that the following military record is applicable.
  • John R. Brown enlisted as a private in Montgomery, Alabama, on 2 October 1863, for a period of three years, in Company C, 60th Alabama Infantry Regiment, CSA. He is noted as absent on the July/August 1864 company muster roll, in arrest by order of Lt. Col. Frey for absence without leave. He was marked present on the muster roll for January/February 1865. He appears on a roll of prisoners of war at Point Lookout, Maryland, having been captured 31 March 1865 at Hatchers Run, arrived at City Point, Virginia, on 2 April 1865, and released 9 June 1865.
         Research Note: It has not yet been established whether this John R. Brown was the son of Thomas and Eliza Dixon Hall Brown.
  • Last Edited: 2 Mar 2012