Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/826

768 by the entire company, and re-enlisted in Company E as a private. As such he served until February, 1863, when his impaired health, due to an attack of camp fever and a relapse from the same, caused by his ambition for active service, led the army surgeons to advise him that he could no longer do duty in the field. Consequently, while flat on his back with fever, he fitted himself for ordnance duty, and on his recovery stood an examination, and received an appointment in that department, with the rank of first lieutenant of artillery. He was stationed at Richmond, and was soon afterward appointed to the responsible position of inspector of ordnance for the Confederate States army, and put in charge of the army work in progress at the Tredegar and other iron works in Richmond. In this capacity Colonel Brown served until the evacuation of Richmond, his efficiency and conscientious performance of duty being recognized meanwhile by rapid promotion through the grades of captain and major, to the rank of lieutenant-colonel of artillery. When the troops moved out of Richmond he started out under orders from Gen. Josiah Gorgas, chief of ordnance, to proceed to Lynchburg, but on arriving at Appomattox Court House, about two days before the surrender, he became satisfied that Lynchburg could not be held by the army, whereupon he went on to Danville, Va., and there reported to General Gorgas, who was at the latter place with President Davis and his cabinet, that he and his staff were awaiting orders. But he was unable to obtain any information except that there would be a rendezvous at Charlotte, N. C., whither he proceeded and awaited orders for several days. Finally the unattached Virginia officers at that point held a meeting and appointed a committee to wait on General Breckinridge, secretary of war, and tender their services in any capacity. Receiving the gloomy intelligence that there were no orders to be given, and advice to return home, the officers broke up their rendezvous next morning, but Colonel Brown, instead of starting homeward, waited a few days in Bedford county, Va., for intelligence regarding Gen. E. Kirby Smith, who was reported to be holding out in the Trans-Mississippi department. Then word came that Smith, also, had surrendered, and feeling that the cause was hopeless, indeed. Colonel Brown went into Lynchburg and was paroled early in June, 1865. He returned to Petersburg and made his home there until 1869, when he removed to Baltimore and engaged in banking speedily assuming a position of prominence among the financial men of that city, where absolute integrity and loyalty to trusts imposed are peculiarly indispensable to success. Colonel Brown is enrolled among the active members of the society of the army and navy, of Maryland, and particularly treasures the indorsements of his commanding officers upon his application for membership. Captain Patterson wrote: "In any of the positions which he filled Colonel Brown had few equals and no superior;" and his old colonel, General Weisiger, made this endorsement: "It affords me pleasure to sign the certificate for our mutual friend, J. Willcox Brown, than whom as a gentleman and soldier, none stood higher in my regard."

Daniel T. Brownley, of Portsmouth, now occupying a responsible position in the government navy yard, served in the Confederate cause as a member of Company B, Third Virginia infantry,