Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/475

BROWN.BROWN. served four years in the signal corps, and as chief signal officer of the Powder river Indian expedi- tion through Wyoming and Montana in 1865. On the organization of the United States veteran signal corp association in 1867. he was chosen its first president, and was again elected in 1880 and 1881. He was elected historian of the association in 1878, and held the office by continuous re- elections. Upon retiring from the army he re- sumed teaching and in 1891 became principal of the Emerson school, East Boston, Mass. Amherst gave him the M.A. degree in 1871. He is the author of " The Signal Corps, U. S. A., in the War of the Rebellion " (1897).

BROWN, Matthew, educator, was born in Northumberland county. Pa., in 1776. He was graduated from Dickinson college in 1794, and for two years taught school. He then entered the Presbyterian ministry and preached in several churches in Pennsylvania, settling in 1805 at Washington, Pa., where, in addition to preaching, he taught in the academy, which became Wash- ington college the following year. For the next ten years he was president of the college. In 1822 he was made president of Jefferson college, and in 1823 Princeton college conferred on him the degree of D.D. Hamilton college conferred upon him the degree of LL.D. in 1835, and Jeffer- son college gave him the same honor in 1845, upon his resigning the presidency. He died July 29, 1853.

BROWN, Moses, philanthropist, was born in Providence, R. I., Sept. 23, 1738, son of James and Hope (Power) Brown. He left school at the age of thirteen and went to the home of his uncle, Obadiah Brown. In 1763 he was admitted into the firm, the youngest of the "four brothers," and they carried on the business together until 1773, when, owing to ill-health, Moses was obliged to retire. In 1764 he married his cousin, Anna, daughter of Obadiah Brown. In 1774 he joined the society of Friends, assisted in establishing the Rhode Island peace society, and was a patron and founder of the Yearly Meeting boarding school, giving it forty-three acres of land, and acting as its treasurer for over half a century. From 1764 to 1771 he was a member of the general assembly, and in 1773 he liberated his slaves and became an active member of the aboUtion society. Later in life he devoted much of his time to the studies of chemistry and natural phil- osophy. He died in Providence, R. I.. Sept. 6, 1836. "

BROWN, Moses, naval officer, was born at Newburyport, Mass., Jan. 20, 1742. He took part in the revolutionary war as commander of New England privateers, including the Diligent and Intrepid. The Merrimac, built by New- buryport merchants, when the United States navy

was first organized, was commanded by him, and formed one of the squadron of Commodore Barry. In 1799 and 1800 he captured Le Phenix, Le Bona- parte, and Le Magicienne, of tlie French navy. He served %Wth distinction, and when the navy was reduced at the close of the war he was dis- missed, and afterwards engaged in the merchant- marine service. He died at sea, Jan. 1, 1804.

BROWN, Nathan W., soldier, was born at Brownville, N. Y., Jan. 15, 1819, son of Major- General Jacob Brown. In September, 1849, he received the appointment of major and paymaster in the army, and served in Florida until 1850. The following five years he was on duty in Cali- fornia, and then went to New York city, where he served from 1855 to 1857. In 1858 he was again sent to Florida, and for two years following was at Fort Kearney, Nebraska. In 1860 he was assigned to Fort Smith, Arkansas, and was with General Sturgis when he evacuated the fort in April, 1861. He was in Missouri in charge of the pay department, and in 1864 he was promoted lieutenant-colonel and deputy paymaster-general ; and in 1866 colonel and assistant paymaster-gen- eral. March 13, 1865, he was brevetted colonel, and Oct. 15. 1867, brigadier-general for his services during the civil war. In 1869 he served at St. Loviis, and was placed in charge of the pay dis- trict of the Missouri. In 1880 he was appointed paymaster-general with the rank of brigadier- general, and was retired Feb. 6, 1882, being more than sixty-two years old. He died March 4, 1893.

BROWN, Nicholas, merchant, was born in Providence, R. I., July 28, 1729, son of James and Hope (Power) Brown. He was eldest of the "four brothers" who comprised the firm of Nicholas Brown & Co. In 1762 he married Rhoda Jenckes, by whom he had ten children, only two, however, living to maturity. His second wife was Avis, daughter of Barnabas Binney. Mr. Brown was a liberal patron of the Rhode Island college, and of the Baptist church. He was a diligent student, a judicious business man, and a generous giver. He died May 29, 1791.

BROWN, Nicholas, philanthropist, was born in Providence, R. I., April 4, 1769, son of Nicholas and Rhoda (Jenckes) Brown, grandson of James and Hope (Power) Brown, great-grandson of James and Mary (Harris) Brown, and great-great- grandson of John Brown, the eldest son of Chad Brovvn. He matriculated in Rhode Island college when only fourteen years old. and was graduated in 1786. He left college for his father's counting- room, where he acquired a thorough knowledge of business methods. When only twenty-two years of age he inherited a considerable fortune by his fathers death. He formed a partnership with Thomas P. Ives, his brother-in-law. and the firm of Brown & Ives had a long career of prosperity,