Isaac S. Brown of Pike County, Illinois

© Kathy Duncan, 2016

Isaac S. Brown belongs to my one of husband's Brown lines.

Isaac S. Brown, who was born on 7 Feb 1810 in Daviess Co., Kentucky, moved to Greene Co., Illinois in 1828. Soon after he traveled to New York where he married Catherine E. Hay, daughter of John and Amy Hay, on 7 Feb 1832, in Winfield, Herkimer Co., NY. She was born on 8 July 1813 in New York state. By 1833, Isaac was back in Greene Co. with his new bride. John and Amy Hay either removed with them to Illinois at this point or followed shortly afterward. In the fall of 1849, John Hay died and was buried in Mt Gilead Cemetery in Woodville Twp. In the early part of 1850 Isaac S. Brown and his family removed to Milton in Pike Co., Illinois, taking Amy Hay with them. She seems to have remained in their household until her death in 1861. She was buried by her husband John Hay in the Mt. Gilead Cemetery of Woodville Twp. 

Isaac S. Brown entered the Civil War at the advanced age of about 50. Both family tradition and the US census put him at this age. However, his Civil War service records state that he was 43, seven years younger. His record also states that he had dark hair, so he was apparently able to enter by passing for a younger man. He enlisted on 12 Aug 1862 and mustered in on 22 Aug 1862 in Florence, IL. He was 5’ 9 ½” with hazel eyes and was residing in Milton, IL. He stated that he was born in “Davis County,” KY. He worked as a teamster for Co I of the 99^th IL Infantry. He was wounded at the Assault of May 22 during the 1863 battle of Vicksburg, MS, and died five days later on 27 May 1863, and is buried in the National Cemetery in Vicksburg. In 1866 the remains of soldiers were disinterred from the battlefield and moved into the newly created National Cemetery. In 1869 Isaac’s family considered moving his remains to Milton, so his widow and son traveled to Vicksburg to make arrangements. Once they saw how well-kept the cemetery was, they decided to leave him there and erected a monument for him. As of 5 Aug 2007, he still rests under that stone. Not a military marker, it bears the Masonic emblem and is inscribed as follows: “Isaac S. Brown/ Member of/ Co. I 99^th Reg./ IL Vol./ Wounded at Vicksburg/ May 22, 1863/ died/ May 27, 1863/ Aged/ 53 yrs. 3 ms. 20 ds./ When duty called he led/ Where country called he died.” In addition, the family included his name on Catherine's tombstone in French Cemetery in Milton, which would mislead most into believing that he is also buried there. Catherine E. (Hay) Brown died on 18 January 1889.

Catherine lived with various of her children after Isaac’s death. She was living with her son James A. Brown shortly before his murder and may have been a member of the household at the time of his death. In 1880 she was living with her son William M. Brown.

The following information about Isaac S. Brown was gleaned from nineteenth-century biographies published about his sons James A. and William M. Brown, his son-in-law Eli Grimes, and his grandson-in-law A.F. Miller. These biographies are strikingly similar, most centering on his Civil War experiences. Full copies of these biographies are repeated in connection with these sons and sons-in-law.

From the biography of A.F. Miller, husband of Mary E. Brown, Isaac’s grand daughter: 

[A.F. Miller married ] Miss Mary E. Brown, daughter of John D. and Nancy (Johnson) Brown. Her grandfather, Isaac Brown, a native of New York, came to Illinois in a very early day and settled near Milton, Pike County, where he farmed until the war when he volunteered and entered the service. He had his thumb shot off and gangrene setting in, death ensued.

[Source:  PORTRAIT & BIOGRAPHICAL ALBUM OF SANGAMON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.  Chicago: Chapman Brothers, 1891]

From the biography of James A. Brown, son of Isaac S. Brown:

His father, Isaac S. Brown, was born in Kentucky in the year 1810 and emigrated to Green county, Illinois, in 1828, after which he went to New York on horseback. While there, in 1832, he was married to Catherine E. Hay, and in 1833 he returned with his wife to Green county, where he engaged successfully in farming and stock raising, at which he continued until 1850, when he moved to Pike county, and settled on section 16 in Montezuma township, where he again engaged in farming and stock raising until 1862, when, notwithstanding he was in his fifty third year, he enlisted in the 99th Illinois regiment, and was appointed wagon master. He served in that capacity until May, 1863, when he died at Vicksburg from a wound received in the first battle at that place. He was the father of six children, five sons and one daughter---all now living--five of whom are married and one single. Mr. Brown died as he had lived, a highly respected man, a good soldier, and a moral citizen. His death was mourned by all his comrades, a large circle of relatives, and many warm friends. Mrs. Brown resides with her son James on the old homestead farm, in good health, and blessed with all the comforts necessary in this life.

[Source:  Pike County, Illinois, 1872 Atlas]

From the biography of Eli Grimes, who married Issac’s daughter Ellen:

Her parents Isaac S. and Catherine E. (Hay) Brown, removed from New York to Illinois, making their first settlement in Greene County and coming to Pike County in 1850. Mr. Brown was killed at the siege of Vicksburg in 1863, he having been a wagonmaster in the Ninety-ninth Illinois Infantry. Mrs. Brown survived until 1889. Their family consists of six sons and daughters, all still living.

[Source:  Portrait and Biographical Album of Pike and Calhoun Counties, Illinois. Published in Chicago by the Biographical Publishing Company, 1891.]

Children of Isaac S. and Catherine E. (Hay) Brown

Based on census records and published, period biographies, Isaac S. and Catherine E. (Hay) Brown had the following children:

1. August L. Brown b.c. 1833 in NY

2. John D. Brown b.c. 1835 in IL

3. James A. Brown b.c. 1836 in Carrollton, Greene Co., IL

4. William M. Brown b. 29 Nov 1840 in Carrollton, Greene Co., IL

5. Ellen E. Brown b.c. 1844 in IL

6. Henry. E. Brown b.c. 1848 in IL

Census Records of Issac S. and Catherine E. (Hay) Brown:

22 Oct 1850, Twp 6 S 2 W, Pike Co., IL, p. 97:

1043-1076     

Isaac S. Brown  39 M   farmer  $200 b. KY

Catherine E. 37 F  b. NY

Augustus L. 17 M b. NY

John D. 15 M b. IL

James A. 13 M b. IL

William M. 9 M b. IL

Ellen E. 6 F b. IL

Henry E. 1 M b. IL

Amy Hay 63 Fb. NY

22 Oct 1850, Twp 6 S 2 W, Pike Co., IL, p. 96:

1037-1070     

Martha Johnson 67 F  $100  b. NY

[Notation:  This Martha Johnson is not identified as being connected but may be either a sister or sister-in-law to Amy Hay (note the NY birthplace), or she may be related to Samuel Johnson, father to Nancy (Johnson) Brown, wife of John D.eloss Brown. Note that she is living in the Isaac S. Brown household in 1860.--kdd]

29 June 1860, Montezuma Twp., Pike Co., IL, P.O.: Milton, p. 666:

145-145         

I.S. Brown 51 M   Farmer $1,000 - $2,300 b. KY

C.E. 47 F b. NY

Ellen E. Brown 16 F b. IL

Henry E. 12 F b. IL

Amy Hay 74 F b. NY

Martha Johnson 74 F b. NY

[Notation: Amy Hay, mother of Catherine E. (Hay) Brown, died the year after this census was taken and was buried by her husband John Hay in Mt. Gilead Cemetery in Greene Co., IL.--kdd] 

19 June 1880, Milton, Pike Co., IL, p. 553:

272-274         

Grimes, Eli  37 W M  Trader b. IL  fb. KY  m. KY

---Ellen  36 W F Wife K.H. b. IL  fb. NY  mb. NY

---Clara  14 W F Dau. b. IL fb. IL  mb. IL

---Catherine 11 W F Dau. b. IL fb. IL mb. IL

---Hawley 6 W F Dau. b. IL  fb. IL mb. IL

Brown, Catherine 65 W F M-i-law  b. NY fb. NYmb.  NY

Alkin, Edson 37 W M  Boarder b. OH fb. OH mb. OH

Cemetery Records:

French Cemetery, Milton, Pike Co., IL:

Brown, I.S. 7 Feb 1810 - 27 May 1863

  C.E. (wife)  8 July 1813 - Jan 1881

  James A. 29 Nov 1836 - 11 Mar 1878

Brown, Mary V. d. 5 Feb 1867 (1-1-26) (dau. of J A & V F)

  Isaac  d. 13 Feb 1867 (2-10-24) (son of A & F)

  Albert Roy d. 18 Apr 1874 (3 mo) (son of A & F)

Brown, Reuben H.   29 Sept 1895 - 12 Dec 1966  WWII

  Sadie E. 13 Aug 1893 - 2 Jan 1970

Brown, Nora E. 1881 - 1882 (dau of H E & S E)

Brown, Lora E (with Reuben) 1913 - 1913

Brown, William M. 1840 - 1917

  Alice Strawn  1849 - 1919

  Helen (Murphy) 1887 - 1918

  William Edmund  1869 - 1879

Brown, Ora 1864 -

  Neva  1867 - 1934

Brown, F.S., Jr. d. 16 Apr 1911

Brown, Lilly 1867 - 1873 (dau of J A & A E)

[Source: Cemetery Records of Pike County, Illinois by Townships 1816 - December 31, 1978, vol. V  by Pike County Historical Society]

Mt. Gilead Cemetery, Woodville Twp., Greene Co., Illinois:

Hay, Amy  25 Sep 1861  75y 8m 10d   Wife of John Hay [b. 15 Jan 1786]

Hay, John 5 Sep 1849 66y 10m 5d [b. 31 Oct 1782]

Isaac S. Brown's Certificate Against Stephen A. Douglas

This page was last updated on May 15, 2016