Nathan W. Brown
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Union (American Civil War)
Nathan W. Brown | |
|---|---|
 From the George L. Febiger Photograph Collection. U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center. | |
| Born | January 15, 1819 |
| Died | March 4, 1893 (aged 74) Washington, D.C., US |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United States Union (American Civil War) |
| Service | United States Army Union Army |
| Service years | 1849‒1861, 1866‒1882 (U.S. Army) 1861‒1865 (Union Army) |
| Rank | Brigadier General |
| Unit | U.S. Army Pay Department |
| Commands |
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| Wars | American Civil War |
| Spouse |
Virginia DuVal (m. 1859–1878) |
| Children | 4 |
| Relations | Jacob Brown (father) Edmund Kirby (nephew) |
| Signature | .jpg){kind=small} |
Nathan W. Brown (15 January 1819 ‒ 4 March 1893) was a career officer in the United States Army. A Union Army veteran of the American Civil War, Brown attained the rank of brigadier general. His service in the U.S. Army Pay Department culminated with appointment as Paymaster-General of the United States Army, a post in which he served from 1880 until his retirement in 1882.
Nathan Williams Brown was born in Brownville, New York on 15 January 1819, a son of Major General Jacob Brown and Pamelia (Williams) Brown.[1][2] He was raised and educated in Brownville and his siblings included Pamela, the wife of Army officer David Hammond Vinton.[3][4] Another sister Eliza, was the wife of army paymaster Colonel Edmund Kirby (1794–1849) and mother of army officer Edmund Kirby (1840‒1863).[5] Brown worked for his brother-in-law as a clerk;[6] when Kirby died in July 1849, Brown successfully applied for appointment as a paymaster and in September he was commissioned as a major.[7][8]
Brown served initially in Florida.[1] In 1850, he was assigned to duty in California, where he remained until 1855.[1] He performed duty in New York City from 1855 to 1857, then served again in Florida.[1] In 1858, he was assigned to Fort Kearny, Nebraska, where he remained until 1860.[1] He then served at Fort Smith, Arkansas; when the post was evacuated at the start of the American Civil War in April 1861, Brown was assigned to paymaster duties with the Department of the Missouri.[1] Initially assigned to Fort Washita, Indian Territory, he was subsequently posted to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.[7]
In 1864, Brown was assigned as the army's deputy paymaster-general.[1] After the war, he was assigned as chief paymaster of the Pay District of Missouri.[1] In 1869, he was assigned as chief paymaster of the Pay Department's New York City depot.[7] In 1880, he was promoted to brigadier general and appointed as Paymaster-General of the United States Army.[1] He held this position until February 1882, when he retired.[1]
In retirement, Brown was a resident of Washington, DC.[9] He died in Washington on 4 March 1893.[10] He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.[10]