A Confederate soldier during the Civil War, John Matthews Brown fought with the 22nd Virginia Infantry in 1861 and enlisted the next year in the 1st Rockbridge Artillery of General Stonewall Jackson’s brigade. Brown participated in the Valley Campaign, the Second Battle of Bull Run, the Battle of Gettysburg, and the Battle of Appomattox Court House. While at the surrender of General Robert E. Lee on April 9, 1865, Brown was paroled that day at Appomattox, Virginia. Following the war, he moved to Austin, Texas, where he was adjutant for the United Confederate Veterans’ John B. Hood Camp.
Comprising manuscripts, a newspaper clipping, and correspondence, the John M. Brown Reminiscences, 1911-1913, chronicle Brown’s military career as a soldier in the 1st Rockbridge Artillery of the Confederate Army during the Civil War. The bulk of the collection, handwritten and typewritten manuscripts, 1911-1913, describe Brown’s experiences in military camps and battles in Virginia, his impressions of General Stonewall Jackson, General Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, and the distribution of the Rockbridge Battery’s battle flag, among other topics. A 1913 newspaper clipping contains Brown’s story about Lee’s surrender and the battle flag, while correspondence includes a 1911 letter to Brown from H. L. Piner concerning his manuscripts and two 1913 letters between Felix H. Robertson and H. G. Askew of the United Confederate Veterans about Brown’s service in the Confederate Army.
This collection is open for research use.
John M. Brown Reminiscences, 1911-1913, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.
Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center’s