Egbert Benson Brown (October 4, 1816 – February 11, 1902) was a
Union general
A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...
in the
Trans-Mississippi Theater of the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...
.
Early life and education
Egbert Brown was born in
Brownsville, New York, and as a young man sailed on a whaler before settling in
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and accordin ...
, in the early 1840s. He was a respected grain dealer and built the first steam elevator in town. After successively working his way to Mayor of Toledo in 1852, he moved to
St. Louis, Missouri, in 1852 and engaged in the railroad business.
Civil War
In August 1861, Brown was commissioned as the
lieutenant colonel of the 7th Missouri Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He resigned this position in May 1862 to become a
brigadier general
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed t ...
of the
Missouri State Militia (Union) The Missouri State Militia was a federally funded state militia organization of Missouri conceived in 1861 and beginning service in 1862 during the American Civil War. It was a full-time force whose primary purpose was to conduct offensive operation ...
. He was appointed as a brigadier general of U.S. volunteers to rank from November 29, 1862.
Brown's duties primarily involved suppressing
Confederate guerrillas and opposing raids from
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the ...
and the
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans who held aboriginal title to their land as a sovereign ...
. Among the high points of his career were two victories over
Joseph Shelby, at the
Second Battle of Springfield
The Second Battle of Springfield was a battle in the American Civil War fought January 8, 1863, in Springfield, Missouri. It is sometimes known as The Battle of Springfield. (The First Battle of Springfield was fought on October 25, 1861, and ...
(1863) during Marmaduke's first raid, and at
Marshall, Missouri
Marshall is a city in Saline County, Missouri, United States. The population was 13,065 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Saline County. The Marshall Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of Saline County. It is home to Missouri Va ...
, during
Shelby's Great Raid of 1863. Brown was severely wounded in the shoulder at Springfield and lost the use of an arm. He commanded the District of Central Missouri during 1863 and through 1864.
Although successful in many engagements, Brown was criticized by some for lack of vigor. This came to a head during
Sterling Price's 1864 raid of Missouri. At the
Battle of Westport
The Battle of Westport, sometimes referred to as the "Gettysburg of the West", was fought on October 23, 1864, in modern Kansas City, Missouri, during the American Civil War. Union Army, Union forces under Major General (United States), Major G ...
, Union
Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton
Alfred Pleasonton (June 7, 1824 – February 17, 1897) was a United States Army officer and major general of volunteers in the Union cavalry during the American Civil War. He commanded the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac during the Ge ...
relieved Brown of command and arrested him for failing to promptly obey an order to attack. Brown then assumed command of the District of Rolla in January 1865 until the end of the war.
Post-war
Brown was the United States pension agent in St. Louis from 1866 to 1868. He resigned to operate a farm in
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Roc ...
. He died in the home of a granddaughter at
West Plains, Missouri, on February 11, 1902, and was buried next to his wife in
Cuba, Missouri.
See also
*
List of American Civil War generals (Union)
Union generals
__NOTOC__
The following lists show the names, substantive ranks, and brevet ranks (if applicable) of all general officers who served in the United States Army during the Civil War, in addition to a small selection of lower-ranke ...
References
Sources
* Warner, Ezra, ''Generals in Blue'',
Louisiana State University Press
The Louisiana State University Press (LSU Press) is a university press at Louisiana State University. Founded in 1935, it publishes works of scholarship as well as general interest books. LSU Press is a member of the Association of American Univ ...
, 1964/2002.
External links
* Denny, James M.
"The Battle of Marshall"*
photo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Egbert
1816 births
1902 deaths
People from Brownsville, Brooklyn
Union Army generals
Union militia generals
People of Missouri in the American Civil War
People of New York (state) in the American Civil War
Mayors of Toledo, Ohio
Missouri in the American Civil War