JEFFERSON COUNTY NEW YORK CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS' BIOGRAPHIES

James Gifford Brown

Union Soldier - Distinguished Service

James Gifford Brown was born in Rodman June 23, 1842, the son of James Canfield and Abigail Gifford Brown. He enlisted Oct. 29, 1861, in the 94th Regiment, New York Volunteers, Company A at Rodman. He was wounded in the back at the second battle of Bull Run in September 1862. He was discharged at Albany Feb. 21, 1863 and returned to Rodman. He died August 24, 1920 in Watertown, NY.

Syracuse Daily Courier September, 1862. Washington. Sept. 2.
Manassas Junction and Bull Run

Our army has advanced two miles towards the late battlefield. The killed are being buried, and the wounded removed under a flag of truce. About 2800 have this far been removed from the various fields of battle.

Within the list of Wounded 94th N. Y. Volunteers - Gifford Brown, 94th N. Y., back.

WOUNDED IN 1863 PAIN NEVER ENDED BACK BONE SHATTERED BY CONFEDERATE BULLET\par JAMES GIFFORD BROWN DIES

Lay Behind Rebel Lines Four Days With Nothing to Eat but Raw Corn

James Gifford Brown, 77 years of age, a veteran of Company A, 94th Regular N. Y. Volunteers in the Civil War, who was seriously wounded at the second battle of Bull Run, died at his home in the Devendorf block on State street about 1 this morning. Mr. Brown had never been free from pain since he was discharged from the Union army In 1863, but his condition has been critical since this spring. On June 29 of this year he fell in his room and broke his hip, and since that day he has been constantly confined to his bed.

The wound which Mr Brown suffered at the second battle of Bull Run resulted in the ball touching the inside of his back bone. Over 70 pieces of bone have been taken from the wound. He was not free from pain a moment since he was wounded. For about ten years his condition has been such that he did not do any work.

Mr. Brown was born in Rodman June 23, 1842, the son of James Canfield and Abigail Gifford Brown. His mother died when he was three years old. Mr. Brown spent his early life at Rodman. He enlisted Oct. 29, 1861, in Company A. 94th Regiment, New York Volunteers. When he was wounded at the second battle of Bull Run he was carried from the field by members of his company to an old house about two miles away. He was there four days with nothing but two small nubbins of raw corn to eat. He remained ten days with others at this house within the rebel lines. The tenth day he was taken to the hospital at Fairfax seminary and remained there about three months. He was discharged at Albany Feb. 21, 1863 and returned to Rodman.

He married Miss Caroline A. Butterfield Oct. 15, 1866, the granddaughter of Zachariah Butterfield, who came to Watertown in 1800 and built his home on the spot where the Y. M. C. A. building now stands. It was in 1805 that he with seven other pioneer residents deeded to the village of Watertown the land out of which Public Square was surveyed and plotted. Mrs. Brown passed away June 24, 1913.

In early manhood he was a merchant at Rodman and afterward in Rochester. His later life has been spent in Watertown. He was a member of Joe Spratt Post, No. 323, G. A. R.

He leaves one daughter, Miss Grace Wyman Brown of Watertown, a teacher in the State street school; one sister, Mrs. Abbie Brown of Rodman and three nephews, W. Z. Brown and Milo G. Brown, both of Rodman, and Leroy S. Brown of the town of Adams. The funeral arrangements are incomplete pending the arrival of relatives.

Sources: Newspaper - Syracuse Daily Courier - September, 1862
Newspaper - Watertown Daily Times - Friday, August 24, 1920 Jefferson County NYGenWeb, US Civil War Service Records, for Gifford Brown

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