The following information on the Brown family, centering on the family of Joshua Robert Callaway Brown II, is quoted from Helen R. Prillaman's "Places Near the Mountains" (1985), a history of the Roanoke Valley and Salem areas of Virginia, where Joshua Robert Callaway Brown and his namesake uncle settled, pages 282-87:
The Browns of Salem
Five Brown brothers, William, Coleman, John, Thomas and Daniel, came to this country from England about 1739 according to available information. Coleman and one or more of his brothers settled in Culpeper County, Virginia. Brother Daniel at one time lived in New York State were his son, Daniel, Jr., was born in Goshen, New York in 1748. Daniel, Jr. died in Virginia in 1795. [Comment by Bryan Godfrey: It has since been proven that Daniel Brown was a son of Joshua and Experience Parshall Brown of Southold and Goshen, NY and not related to the Browns of Culpeper Co., VA].
Daniel Brown, Jr. was a surgeon in the Revolutionary War, serving in the 14th Virginia Regiment commanded by Col. Charles Lewis, later by Col. William Davies. Brown's home was "New Glasgow" near Leesville in Campbell County, now owned by the Keesee family.
Dr. Brown married Mary "Polly" Callaway, daughter of Sarah Tate and Col. James Callaway, who served in the House of Burgesses. It is of interest to note that Col. James Callaway's father was Col. William Callaway who served in the House of Burgesses and was the first Burgess from Bedford County. He served for 13 sessions.
[Subsequent paragraphs in the Brown chapter go on to list descendants of Dr. Daniel and Polly Callaway Brown who settled in the Roanoke area, and then the text continues as follows:]
HENRY CALLAWAY BROWN--born June 30, 1789, married Elizabeth Arnold, daughter of John Arnold of Campbell County. He served in the War of 1812. Their son David went west at an early age. Daughter Susan married a Hutson. Their other children were Mary A., Martha A., and Joshua Robert Callaway Brown, Jr. This son should have been Joshua Robert Calloway Brown II rather than "Jr.," since he was named for an uncle. However, he is listed in Court records as both "Jr." and "Sr." which has lead to confusion for those checking these records. Joshua Robert Callaway Brown Jr. (II) came to Salem, Va. in 1829 to join his uncle. He married Mary Jane Williams, daughter of William Curle and Margaret Bryan Williams June 11, 1840. Sixteen months after their marriage Mary Jane's parents gave the young couple for $1.00 a lot and home at the corner of Virginia Avenue and Main Street, "Opposite the tavern house" of William C. Williams and Margaret B., his wife, because they were "interested in their advancement". A deed on record in the Roanoke County Court House dated September 27, 1841, reflects this information. All of the Brown children were born in this house. On January 6, 1854 Joshua and Mary Jane Brown sold this property to Zebulon Boon. It later became known as the Boon place to local residents.
Joshua Robert Callaway Brown, Jr. (II) became one of Salem's leading citizens, serving on the town council which held its first meeting July 10, 1849. He was active in the Salem Presbyterian Church and was one of the Town of Salem's first trustees.
On June 21, 1854, Joshua R.C. Brown, now called "Sr.," bought the large brick house store on the corner of Main Street and Cove Road (currently Craig Avenue) that had been built by his father-in-law, William C. Williams. This house, known as "The Brown House Store" is described by Whitwell and Winborne in their "Architectural Heritage of the Roanoke Valley" as "one of the most important commercial buildings remaining in Southwest Virginia." "It is considered one of the best examples of early 19th century architecture in this area of Virginia and it is a notable example of early commercial architecture." This is a quote from the Landmark's Commission in its acceptance of the Brown House Store as a landmark.
William Edward Brown (one of the eight children of Joshua and Mary) was a merchant and had stores in Pulaski and Columbia, Tenn., where he married Carrie Pillow, daughter of William Howell and Elizabeth Porter Pillow of Columbia on October 9, 1876.
He returned to Salem, Virginia to assist his aging parents, eventually moving into the Brown house with them with his wife, Carrie taking over the responsibility of running the household. At this time the store had been built by the side of the Brown House and attached to it. The elderly Browns had their living quarters on the second floor. In their later years they lived with Frank and Laird Brown at Bel Air. Mary Jane passed away on June 10, 1895 and Joshua R.C. Brown (II) on January 23, 1900.
Joshua R.C. Brown, Sr. (II) has been remembered as "one of Salem's most honest merchants." Mary Jane was known for her sunny, lovable disposition. There are many descendants of Joshua R.C. Brown, Sr. (II) and Mary Jane Williams Brown in the Roanoke Valley.
The Brown House was bought by Carrie Pillow Brown March 25, 1900. Most of her and William Edward Brown's children were born here.
William Edward, George, and Garland Brown (sons of Joshua and Mary) fought in the Civil War as members of the Salem Artillery. This Company was organized in Roanoke County January 30, 1859 and was mustered into the service of the Confederate States of America at Lynchburg May 16, 1861.
The Company served until the evacuation of Norfolk in May, 1862 as Company A, 9th Regiment, Virginia Volunteers. After that date it was designated as Hupp's Battery, First Regiment Virginia Artillery and subsequently as Griffin's Battery, Hardaway's Battalion, Virginia Artillery, under which name it surrendered at Appomattox Court House April 9, 1865.
The First Virginia Artillery Battalion, composed of the Richmond Howitzers, Rockbridge Battery and the Salem Flying Artillery, claimed the distinction of having fired the first and last shot of the Army of Northern Virginia.
General D.H. Hill's magazine, "The Land We Love" for July, 1869 said of the Salem Company, "This Battery participated in every prominent battle fought by the Army of Northern Virginia. On the retreat from Richmond it was one of the few regiments or battalions of any branch of the service which preserved its organization intact to the fatal field of Apppomattox."
William Edward Brown, Confederate Soldier No. 93, before promotion of Charles Griffin to the captaincy of the battery was offered this post but preferred to serve in the ranks. His courage and hardihood throughout the war earned him the nickname, "Little Pineknot." He enlisted at the beginning of hostilities at the age of seventeen. George joined the next year and Garland later.
True Civil War Tales:
Two incidents that occurred during the Civil War have been handed down to some of the descendants of Joshua and Mary Jane Brown:
When word reached Joshua and Mary Jane that Yankee troops were headed toward Salem, their children were told not to look out while the troops passed by. Margie Brown, a beautiful, high spirited girl, forgot their admonition and stuck her head out. A young Yankee soldier saw her and rushed up the stairs only to be confronted by her mother, Mary Jane, who asked that he go back. When the soldier tried to brush past her, Mary Jane pushed him and he went tumbling down the stairs. Fortunately for everyone, the soldier was noticed by his commanding officer who followed and ordered him out.
William Edward Brown whose courage and hardihood caused him to be nicknamed "Little Pineknot" was cold and fatigued after a battle. He sought refuge from the cold wind between two dead soldiers. Suddenly he was awakened by his blanket being pulled off. He slowly arose, causing the thieves to drop their loot and make a hasty retreat. Pilfering of this kind was common during the War.
The Brown House Store, often called today, "The Williams-Brown House Store," was in the Brown family for almost 150 years. It was sold to William Watts in 1963. Mr. Watts has offered the historic building to the Salem Historical Society provided they move it from the site. The Salem Historical Society hopes to save this historical house by moving it to a hill nearby, across from East Hill Cemetery. This would keep the original character of the house along the "Great Road" west.
It was the first structure in our area to have the honor of being placed on the Virginia Landmark Register and the National Register of historic places. "A landmark is defined as 'something which once removed from the landscape leaves the horizon poorer for its loss.'"
Note: This information about the Brown family in the early days when Salem, Virginia was part of Botetourt County and in the years that followed, was taken from an impressive Brown Family Genealogy researched and written by a descendant, Annie Rhodes Marshall. Mrs. Marshall has been kind and generous to share her information.
The following is quoted from the website http://www.vahistorical.org/salem.htm regarding a well-known Virginia painting which I have a copy of hanging on my wall, and which shows the Williams-Brown residence in 1855:
Churches, Blacksmith Shop and College: A View of Salem of Virginia in 1855
Edward Beyer
Oil on canvas
29 X 48 in.
Virginia Historical Society, gift of Lora Robins, E. Claiborne Robins, Jr., Bruce C. Gottwald,
Paul Mellon, D. Tennant Bryan, Henry F. Stern, Mrs. E. Schneider, and Thomas Towers
Edward Beyer was commissioned to paint a panorama of Salem by some twenty gentlemen of the town. He called it "Churches, Blacksmith Shop and College: A View of Salem of Virginia in 1855." In it we see the buildings and their positions in the landscape, and how people dressed, worked, and traveled in this setting. A comparison of Beyer's view of Salem with nineteenth-century maps, photographs, and written accounts that describe the town is revealing about the artist's methods. Typically with such towns, he positioned himself at a high vantage point where he could take in the breadth of the town and most of the key buildings, which he plotted on his canvas with the accuracy of a geographer. Some near and far buildings inevitably were juxtaposed by his line of sight, so Beyer varied the value of his colors to suggest their spatial relationships. Near buildings are more intensely colored than distant ones. Then the artist proceeded to paint microscopic details that, in the field, cannot be perceived at such a distance by the human eye. He must have had a telescope for distant details and may have used a camera obscura for nearer ones.
Both before and after visiting Virginia, Beyer was involved in producing large narrative panoramas, turned on revolving drums, which viewers paid to watch. Although the Salem view is static, Beyer approaches it in much the same way as a moving panorama. We enter the town on Main Street, like the foreground couple on horseback, and then we proceed to tour Salem, at least visually. We have passed F. Johnston's terraced garden on the right. We approach the brown sheds that are Mr. Daly's blacksmith shop. Two doors down is Joshua Brown's brick house. We encounter townspeople as we proceed. At the other end of Main Street is the white steeple of the Presbyterian church. Halfway there -- where two wagons have driven -- is the Lutheran church, recognizable by its cupola. Turning right at that church, we proceed up a hill, past the porticoed courthouse to the white-steepled Methodist church, near the center of the picture. Beyond and distant is the classical main building of Roanoke College, dedicated seven years earlier.
The Browns of Salem
Five Brown brothers, William, Coleman, John, Thomas and Daniel, came to this country from England about 1739 according to available information. Coleman and one or more of his brothers settled in Culpeper County, Virginia. Brother Daniel at one time lived in New York State were his son, Daniel, Jr., was born in Goshen, New York in 1748. Daniel, Jr. died in Virginia in 1795. [Comment by Bryan Godfrey: It has since been proven that Daniel Brown was a son of Joshua and Experience Parshall Brown of Southold and Goshen, NY and not related to the Browns of Culpeper Co., VA].
Daniel Brown, Jr. was a surgeon in the Revolutionary War, serving in the 14th Virginia Regiment commanded by Col. Charles Lewis, later by Col. William Davies. Brown's home was "New Glasgow" near Leesville in Campbell County, now owned by the Keesee family.
Dr. Brown married Mary "Polly" Callaway, daughter of Sarah Tate and Col. James Callaway, who served in the House of Burgesses. It is of interest to note that Col. James Callaway's father was Col. William Callaway who served in the House of Burgesses and was the first Burgess from Bedford County. He served for 13 sessions.
[Subsequent paragraphs in the Brown chapter go on to list descendants of Dr. Daniel and Polly Callaway Brown who settled in the Roanoke area, and then the text continues as follows:]
HENRY CALLAWAY BROWN--born June 30, 1789, married Elizabeth Arnold, daughter of John Arnold of Campbell County. He served in the War of 1812. Their son David went west at an early age. Daughter Susan married a Hutson. Their other children were Mary A., Martha A., and Joshua Robert Callaway Brown, Jr. This son should have been Joshua Robert Calloway Brown II rather than "Jr.," since he was named for an uncle. However, he is listed in Court records as both "Jr." and "Sr." which has lead to confusion for those checking these records. Joshua Robert Callaway Brown Jr. (II) came to Salem, Va. in 1829 to join his uncle. He married Mary Jane Williams, daughter of William Curle and Margaret Bryan Williams June 11, 1840. Sixteen months after their marriage Mary Jane's parents gave the young couple for $1.00 a lot and home at the corner of Virginia Avenue and Main Street, "Opposite the tavern house" of William C. Williams and Margaret B., his wife, because they were "interested in their advancement". A deed on record in the Roanoke County Court House dated September 27, 1841, reflects this information. All of the Brown children were born in this house. On January 6, 1854 Joshua and Mary Jane Brown sold this property to Zebulon Boon. It later became known as the Boon place to local residents.
Joshua Robert Callaway Brown, Jr. (II) became one of Salem's leading citizens, serving on the town council which held its first meeting July 10, 1849. He was active in the Salem Presbyterian Church and was one of the Town of Salem's first trustees.
On June 21, 1854, Joshua R.C. Brown, now called "Sr.," bought the large brick house store on the corner of Main Street and Cove Road (currently Craig Avenue) that had been built by his father-in-law, William C. Williams. This house, known as "The Brown House Store" is described by Whitwell and Winborne in their "Architectural Heritage of the Roanoke Valley" as "one of the most important commercial buildings remaining in Southwest Virginia." "It is considered one of the best examples of early 19th century architecture in this area of Virginia and it is a notable example of early commercial architecture." This is a quote from the Landmark's Commission in its acceptance of the Brown House Store as a landmark.
William Edward Brown (one of the eight children of Joshua and Mary) was a merchant and had stores in Pulaski and Columbia, Tenn., where he married Carrie Pillow, daughter of William Howell and Elizabeth Porter Pillow of Columbia on October 9, 1876.
He returned to Salem, Virginia to assist his aging parents, eventually moving into the Brown house with them with his wife, Carrie taking over the responsibility of running the household. At this time the store had been built by the side of the Brown House and attached to it. The elderly Browns had their living quarters on the second floor. In their later years they lived with Frank and Laird Brown at Bel Air. Mary Jane passed away on June 10, 1895 and Joshua R.C. Brown (II) on January 23, 1900.
Joshua R.C. Brown, Sr. (II) has been remembered as "one of Salem's most honest merchants." Mary Jane was known for her sunny, lovable disposition. There are many descendants of Joshua R.C. Brown, Sr. (II) and Mary Jane Williams Brown in the Roanoke Valley.
The Brown House was bought by Carrie Pillow Brown March 25, 1900. Most of her and William Edward Brown's children were born here.
William Edward, George, and Garland Brown (sons of Joshua and Mary) fought in the Civil War as members of the Salem Artillery. This Company was organized in Roanoke County January 30, 1859 and was mustered into the service of the Confederate States of America at Lynchburg May 16, 1861.
The Company served until the evacuation of Norfolk in May, 1862 as Company A, 9th Regiment, Virginia Volunteers. After that date it was designated as Hupp's Battery, First Regiment Virginia Artillery and subsequently as Griffin's Battery, Hardaway's Battalion, Virginia Artillery, under which name it surrendered at Appomattox Court House April 9, 1865.
The First Virginia Artillery Battalion, composed of the Richmond Howitzers, Rockbridge Battery and the Salem Flying Artillery, claimed the distinction of having fired the first and last shot of the Army of Northern Virginia.
General D.H. Hill's magazine, "The Land We Love" for July, 1869 said of the Salem Company, "This Battery participated in every prominent battle fought by the Army of Northern Virginia. On the retreat from Richmond it was one of the few regiments or battalions of any branch of the service which preserved its organization intact to the fatal field of Apppomattox."
William Edward Brown, Confederate Soldier No. 93, before promotion of Charles Griffin to the captaincy of the battery was offered this post but preferred to serve in the ranks. His courage and hardihood throughout the war earned him the nickname, "Little Pineknot." He enlisted at the beginning of hostilities at the age of seventeen. George joined the next year and Garland later.
True Civil War Tales:
Two incidents that occurred during the Civil War have been handed down to some of the descendants of Joshua and Mary Jane Brown:
When word reached Joshua and Mary Jane that Yankee troops were headed toward Salem, their children were told not to look out while the troops passed by. Margie Brown, a beautiful, high spirited girl, forgot their admonition and stuck her head out. A young Yankee soldier saw her and rushed up the stairs only to be confronted by her mother, Mary Jane, who asked that he go back. When the soldier tried to brush past her, Mary Jane pushed him and he went tumbling down the stairs. Fortunately for everyone, the soldier was noticed by his commanding officer who followed and ordered him out.
William Edward Brown whose courage and hardihood caused him to be nicknamed "Little Pineknot" was cold and fatigued after a battle. He sought refuge from the cold wind between two dead soldiers. Suddenly he was awakened by his blanket being pulled off. He slowly arose, causing the thieves to drop their loot and make a hasty retreat. Pilfering of this kind was common during the War.
The Brown House Store, often called today, "The Williams-Brown House Store," was in the Brown family for almost 150 years. It was sold to William Watts in 1963. Mr. Watts has offered the historic building to the Salem Historical Society provided they move it from the site. The Salem Historical Society hopes to save this historical house by moving it to a hill nearby, across from East Hill Cemetery. This would keep the original character of the house along the "Great Road" west.
It was the first structure in our area to have the honor of being placed on the Virginia Landmark Register and the National Register of historic places. "A landmark is defined as 'something which once removed from the landscape leaves the horizon poorer for its loss.'"
Note: This information about the Brown family in the early days when Salem, Virginia was part of Botetourt County and in the years that followed, was taken from an impressive Brown Family Genealogy researched and written by a descendant, Annie Rhodes Marshall. Mrs. Marshall has been kind and generous to share her information.
The following is quoted from the website http://www.vahistorical.org/salem.htm regarding a well-known Virginia painting which I have a copy of hanging on my wall, and which shows the Williams-Brown residence in 1855:
Churches, Blacksmith Shop and College: A View of Salem of Virginia in 1855
Edward Beyer
Oil on canvas
29 X 48 in.
Virginia Historical Society, gift of Lora Robins, E. Claiborne Robins, Jr., Bruce C. Gottwald,
Paul Mellon, D. Tennant Bryan, Henry F. Stern, Mrs. E. Schneider, and Thomas Towers
Edward Beyer was commissioned to paint a panorama of Salem by some twenty gentlemen of the town. He called it "Churches, Blacksmith Shop and College: A View of Salem of Virginia in 1855." In it we see the buildings and their positions in the landscape, and how people dressed, worked, and traveled in this setting. A comparison of Beyer's view of Salem with nineteenth-century maps, photographs, and written accounts that describe the town is revealing about the artist's methods. Typically with such towns, he positioned himself at a high vantage point where he could take in the breadth of the town and most of the key buildings, which he plotted on his canvas with the accuracy of a geographer. Some near and far buildings inevitably were juxtaposed by his line of sight, so Beyer varied the value of his colors to suggest their spatial relationships. Near buildings are more intensely colored than distant ones. Then the artist proceeded to paint microscopic details that, in the field, cannot be perceived at such a distance by the human eye. He must have had a telescope for distant details and may have used a camera obscura for nearer ones.
Both before and after visiting Virginia, Beyer was involved in producing large narrative panoramas, turned on revolving drums, which viewers paid to watch. Although the Salem view is static, Beyer approaches it in much the same way as a moving panorama. We enter the town on Main Street, like the foreground couple on horseback, and then we proceed to tour Salem, at least visually. We have passed F. Johnston's terraced garden on the right. We approach the brown sheds that are Mr. Daly's blacksmith shop. Two doors down is Joshua Brown's brick house. We encounter townspeople as we proceed. At the other end of Main Street is the white steeple of the Presbyterian church. Halfway there -- where two wagons have driven -- is the Lutheran church, recognizable by its cupola. Turning right at that church, we proceed up a hill, past the porticoed courthouse to the white-steepled Methodist church, near the center of the picture. Beyond and distant is the classical main building of Roanoke College, dedicated seven years earlier.
The following information on the Brown family, centering on the family of Joshua Robert Callaway Brown II, is quoted from Helen R. Prillaman's "Places Near the Mountains" (1985), a history of the Roanoke Valley and Salem areas of Virginia, where Joshua Robert Callaway Brown and his namesake uncle settled, pages 282-87:
The Browns of Salem
Five Brown brothers, William, Coleman, John, Thomas and Daniel, came to this country from England about 1739 according to available information. Coleman and one or more of his brothers settled in Culpeper County, Virginia. Brother Daniel at one time lived in New York State were his son, Daniel, Jr., was born in Goshen, New York in 1748. Daniel, Jr. died in Virginia in 1795. [Comment by Bryan Godfrey: It has since been proven that Daniel Brown was a son of Joshua and Experience Parshall Brown of Southold and Goshen, NY and not related to the Browns of Culpeper Co., VA].
Daniel Brown, Jr. was a surgeon in the Revolutionary War, serving in the 14th Virginia Regiment commanded by Col. Charles Lewis, later by Col. William Davies. Brown's home was "New Glasgow" near Leesville in Campbell County, now owned by the Keesee family.
Dr. Brown married Mary "Polly" Callaway, daughter of Sarah Tate and Col. James Callaway, who served in the House of Burgesses. It is of interest to note that Col. James Callaway's father was Col. William Callaway who served in the House of Burgesses and was the first Burgess from Bedford County. He served for 13 sessions.
[Subsequent paragraphs in the Brown chapter go on to list descendants of Dr. Daniel and Polly Callaway Brown who settled in the Roanoke area, and then the text continues as follows:]
HENRY CALLAWAY BROWN--born June 30, 1789, married Elizabeth Arnold, daughter of John Arnold of Campbell County. He served in the War of 1812. Their son David went west at an early age. Daughter Susan married a Hutson. Their other children were Mary A., Martha A., and Joshua Robert Callaway Brown, Jr. This son should have been Joshua Robert Calloway Brown II rather than "Jr.," since he was named for an uncle. However, he is listed in Court records as both "Jr." and "Sr." which has lead to confusion for those checking these records. Joshua Robert Callaway Brown Jr. (II) came to Salem, Va. in 1829 to join his uncle. He married Mary Jane Williams, daughter of William Curle and Margaret Bryan Williams June 11, 1840. Sixteen months after their marriage Mary Jane's parents gave the young couple for $1.00 a lot and home at the corner of Virginia Avenue and Main Street, "Opposite the tavern house" of William C. Williams and Margaret B., his wife, because they were "interested in their advancement". A deed on record in the Roanoke County Court House dated September 27, 1841, reflects this information. All of the Brown children were born in this house. On January 6, 1854 Joshua and Mary Jane Brown sold this property to Zebulon Boon. It later became known as the Boon place to local residents.
Joshua Robert Callaway Brown, Jr. (II) became one of Salem's leading citizens, serving on the town council which held its first meeting July 10, 1849. He was active in the Salem Presbyterian Church and was one of the Town of Salem's first trustees.
On June 21, 1854, Joshua R.C. Brown, now called "Sr.," bought the large brick house store on the corner of Main Street and Cove Road (currently Craig Avenue) that had been built by his father-in-law, William C. Williams. This house, known as "The Brown House Store" is described by Whitwell and Winborne in their "Architectural Heritage of the Roanoke Valley" as "one of the most important commercial buildings remaining in Southwest Virginia." "It is considered one of the best examples of early 19th century architecture in this area of Virginia and it is a notable example of early commercial architecture." This is a quote from the Landmark's Commission in its acceptance of the Brown House Store as a landmark.
William Edward Brown (one of the eight children of Joshua and Mary) was a merchant and had stores in Pulaski and Columbia, Tenn., where he married Carrie Pillow, daughter of William Howell and Elizabeth Porter Pillow of Columbia on October 9, 1876.
He returned to Salem, Virginia to assist his aging parents, eventually moving into the Brown house with them with his wife, Carrie taking over the responsibility of running the household. At this time the store had been built by the side of the Brown House and attached to it. The elderly Browns had their living quarters on the second floor. In their later years they lived with Frank and Laird Brown at Bel Air. Mary Jane passed away on June 10, 1895 and Joshua R.C. Brown (II) on January 23, 1900.
Joshua R.C. Brown, Sr. (II) has been remembered as "one of Salem's most honest merchants." Mary Jane was known for her sunny, lovable disposition. There are many descendants of Joshua R.C. Brown, Sr. (II) and Mary Jane Williams Brown in the Roanoke Valley.
The Brown House was bought by Carrie Pillow Brown March 25, 1900. Most of her and William Edward Brown's children were born here.
William Edward, George, and Garland Brown (sons of Joshua and Mary) fought in the Civil War as members of the Salem Artillery. This Company was organized in Roanoke County January 30, 1859 and was mustered into the service of the Confederate States of America at Lynchburg May 16, 1861.
The Company served until the evacuation of Norfolk in May, 1862 as Company A, 9th Regiment, Virginia Volunteers. After that date it was designated as Hupp's Battery, First Regiment Virginia Artillery and subsequently as Griffin's Battery, Hardaway's Battalion, Virginia Artillery, under which name it surrendered at Appomattox Court House April 9, 1865.
The First Virginia Artillery Battalion, composed of the Richmond Howitzers, Rockbridge Battery and the Salem Flying Artillery, claimed the distinction of having fired the first and last shot of the Army of Northern Virginia.
General D.H. Hill's magazine, "The Land We Love" for July, 1869 said of the Salem Company, "This Battery participated in every prominent battle fought by the Army of Northern Virginia. On the retreat from Richmond it was one of the few regiments or battalions of any branch of the service which preserved its organization intact to the fatal field of Apppomattox."
William Edward Brown, Confederate Soldier No. 93, before promotion of Charles Griffin to the captaincy of the battery was offered this post but preferred to serve in the ranks. His courage and hardihood throughout the war earned him the nickname, "Little Pineknot." He enlisted at the beginning of hostilities at the age of seventeen. George joined the next year and Garland later.
True Civil War Tales:
Two incidents that occurred during the Civil War have been handed down to some of the descendants of Joshua and Mary Jane Brown:
When word reached Joshua and Mary Jane that Yankee troops were headed toward Salem, their children were told not to look out while the troops passed by. Margie Brown, a beautiful, high spirited girl, forgot their admonition and stuck her head out. A young Yankee soldier saw her and rushed up the stairs only to be confronted by her mother, Mary Jane, who asked that he go back. When the soldier tried to brush past her, Mary Jane pushed him and he went tumbling down the stairs. Fortunately for everyone, the soldier was noticed by his commanding officer who followed and ordered him out.
William Edward Brown whose courage and hardihood caused him to be nicknamed "Little Pineknot" was cold and fatigued after a battle. He sought refuge from the cold wind between two dead soldiers. Suddenly he was awakened by his blanket being pulled off. He slowly arose, causing the thieves to drop their loot and make a hasty retreat. Pilfering of this kind was common during the War.
The Brown House Store, often called today, "The Williams-Brown House Store," was in the Brown family for almost 150 years. It was sold to William Watts in 1963. Mr. Watts has offered the historic building to the Salem Historical Society provided they move it from the site. The Salem Historical Society hopes to save this historical house by moving it to a hill nearby, across from East Hill Cemetery. This would keep the original character of the house along the "Great Road" west.
It was the first structure in our area to have the honor of being placed on the Virginia Landmark Register and the National Register of historic places. "A landmark is defined as 'something which once removed from the landscape leaves the horizon poorer for its loss.'"
Note: This information about the Brown family in the early days when Salem, Virginia was part of Botetourt County and in the years that followed, was taken from an impressive Brown Family Genealogy researched and written by a descendant, Annie Rhodes Marshall. Mrs. Marshall has been kind and generous to share her information.
The following is quoted from the website http://www.vahistorical.org/salem.htm regarding a well-known Virginia painting which I have a copy of hanging on my wall, and which shows the Williams-Brown residence in 1855:
Churches, Blacksmith Shop and College: A View of Salem of Virginia in 1855
Edward Beyer
Oil on canvas
29 X 48 in.
Virginia Historical Society, gift of Lora Robins, E. Claiborne Robins, Jr., Bruce C. Gottwald,
Paul Mellon, D. Tennant Bryan, Henry F. Stern, Mrs. E. Schneider, and Thomas Towers
Edward Beyer was commissioned to paint a panorama of Salem by some twenty gentlemen of the town. He called it "Churches, Blacksmith Shop and College: A View of Salem of Virginia in 1855." In it we see the buildings and their positions in the landscape, and how people dressed, worked, and traveled in this setting. A comparison of Beyer's view of Salem with nineteenth-century maps, photographs, and written accounts that describe the town is revealing about the artist's methods. Typically with such towns, he positioned himself at a high vantage point where he could take in the breadth of the town and most of the key buildings, which he plotted on his canvas with the accuracy of a geographer. Some near and far buildings inevitably were juxtaposed by his line of sight, so Beyer varied the value of his colors to suggest their spatial relationships. Near buildings are more intensely colored than distant ones. Then the artist proceeded to paint microscopic details that, in the field, cannot be perceived at such a distance by the human eye. He must have had a telescope for distant details and may have used a camera obscura for nearer ones.
Both before and after visiting Virginia, Beyer was involved in producing large narrative panoramas, turned on revolving drums, which viewers paid to watch. Although the Salem view is static, Beyer approaches it in much the same way as a moving panorama. We enter the town on Main Street, like the foreground couple on horseback, and then we proceed to tour Salem, at least visually. We have passed F. Johnston's terraced garden on the right. We approach the brown sheds that are Mr. Daly's blacksmith shop. Two doors down is Joshua Brown's brick house. We encounter townspeople as we proceed. At the other end of Main Street is the white steeple of the Presbyterian church. Halfway there -- where two wagons have driven -- is the Lutheran church, recognizable by its cupola. Turning right at that church, we proceed up a hill, past the porticoed courthouse to the white-steepled Methodist church, near the center of the picture. Beyond and distant is the classical main building of Roanoke College, dedicated seven years earlier.
The Browns of Salem
Five Brown brothers, William, Coleman, John, Thomas and Daniel, came to this country from England about 1739 according to available information. Coleman and one or more of his brothers settled in Culpeper County, Virginia. Brother Daniel at one time lived in New York State were his son, Daniel, Jr., was born in Goshen, New York in 1748. Daniel, Jr. died in Virginia in 1795. [Comment by Bryan Godfrey: It has since been proven that Daniel Brown was a son of Joshua and Experience Parshall Brown of Southold and Goshen, NY and not related to the Browns of Culpeper Co., VA].
Daniel Brown, Jr. was a surgeon in the Revolutionary War, serving in the 14th Virginia Regiment commanded by Col. Charles Lewis, later by Col. William Davies. Brown's home was "New Glasgow" near Leesville in Campbell County, now owned by the Keesee family.
Dr. Brown married Mary "Polly" Callaway, daughter of Sarah Tate and Col. James Callaway, who served in the House of Burgesses. It is of interest to note that Col. James Callaway's father was Col. William Callaway who served in the House of Burgesses and was the first Burgess from Bedford County. He served for 13 sessions.
[Subsequent paragraphs in the Brown chapter go on to list descendants of Dr. Daniel and Polly Callaway Brown who settled in the Roanoke area, and then the text continues as follows:]
HENRY CALLAWAY BROWN--born June 30, 1789, married Elizabeth Arnold, daughter of John Arnold of Campbell County. He served in the War of 1812. Their son David went west at an early age. Daughter Susan married a Hutson. Their other children were Mary A., Martha A., and Joshua Robert Callaway Brown, Jr. This son should have been Joshua Robert Calloway Brown II rather than "Jr.," since he was named for an uncle. However, he is listed in Court records as both "Jr." and "Sr." which has lead to confusion for those checking these records. Joshua Robert Callaway Brown Jr. (II) came to Salem, Va. in 1829 to join his uncle. He married Mary Jane Williams, daughter of William Curle and Margaret Bryan Williams June 11, 1840. Sixteen months after their marriage Mary Jane's parents gave the young couple for $1.00 a lot and home at the corner of Virginia Avenue and Main Street, "Opposite the tavern house" of William C. Williams and Margaret B., his wife, because they were "interested in their advancement". A deed on record in the Roanoke County Court House dated September 27, 1841, reflects this information. All of the Brown children were born in this house. On January 6, 1854 Joshua and Mary Jane Brown sold this property to Zebulon Boon. It later became known as the Boon place to local residents.
Joshua Robert Callaway Brown, Jr. (II) became one of Salem's leading citizens, serving on the town council which held its first meeting July 10, 1849. He was active in the Salem Presbyterian Church and was one of the Town of Salem's first trustees.
On June 21, 1854, Joshua R.C. Brown, now called "Sr.," bought the large brick house store on the corner of Main Street and Cove Road (currently Craig Avenue) that had been built by his father-in-law, William C. Williams. This house, known as "The Brown House Store" is described by Whitwell and Winborne in their "Architectural Heritage of the Roanoke Valley" as "one of the most important commercial buildings remaining in Southwest Virginia." "It is considered one of the best examples of early 19th century architecture in this area of Virginia and it is a notable example of early commercial architecture." This is a quote from the Landmark's Commission in its acceptance of the Brown House Store as a landmark.
William Edward Brown (one of the eight children of Joshua and Mary) was a merchant and had stores in Pulaski and Columbia, Tenn., where he married Carrie Pillow, daughter of William Howell and Elizabeth Porter Pillow of Columbia on October 9, 1876.
He returned to Salem, Virginia to assist his aging parents, eventually moving into the Brown house with them with his wife, Carrie taking over the responsibility of running the household. At this time the store had been built by the side of the Brown House and attached to it. The elderly Browns had their living quarters on the second floor. In their later years they lived with Frank and Laird Brown at Bel Air. Mary Jane passed away on June 10, 1895 and Joshua R.C. Brown (II) on January 23, 1900.
Joshua R.C. Brown, Sr. (II) has been remembered as "one of Salem's most honest merchants." Mary Jane was known for her sunny, lovable disposition. There are many descendants of Joshua R.C. Brown, Sr. (II) and Mary Jane Williams Brown in the Roanoke Valley.
The Brown House was bought by Carrie Pillow Brown March 25, 1900. Most of her and William Edward Brown's children were born here.
William Edward, George, and Garland Brown (sons of Joshua and Mary) fought in the Civil War as members of the Salem Artillery. This Company was organized in Roanoke County January 30, 1859 and was mustered into the service of the Confederate States of America at Lynchburg May 16, 1861.
The Company served until the evacuation of Norfolk in May, 1862 as Company A, 9th Regiment, Virginia Volunteers. After that date it was designated as Hupp's Battery, First Regiment Virginia Artillery and subsequently as Griffin's Battery, Hardaway's Battalion, Virginia Artillery, under which name it surrendered at Appomattox Court House April 9, 1865.
The First Virginia Artillery Battalion, composed of the Richmond Howitzers, Rockbridge Battery and the Salem Flying Artillery, claimed the distinction of having fired the first and last shot of the Army of Northern Virginia.
General D.H. Hill's magazine, "The Land We Love" for July, 1869 said of the Salem Company, "This Battery participated in every prominent battle fought by the Army of Northern Virginia. On the retreat from Richmond it was one of the few regiments or battalions of any branch of the service which preserved its organization intact to the fatal field of Apppomattox."
William Edward Brown, Confederate Soldier No. 93, before promotion of Charles Griffin to the captaincy of the battery was offered this post but preferred to serve in the ranks. His courage and hardihood throughout the war earned him the nickname, "Little Pineknot." He enlisted at the beginning of hostilities at the age of seventeen. George joined the next year and Garland later.
True Civil War Tales:
Two incidents that occurred during the Civil War have been handed down to some of the descendants of Joshua and Mary Jane Brown:
When word reached Joshua and Mary Jane that Yankee troops were headed toward Salem, their children were told not to look out while the troops passed by. Margie Brown, a beautiful, high spirited girl, forgot their admonition and stuck her head out. A young Yankee soldier saw her and rushed up the stairs only to be confronted by her mother, Mary Jane, who asked that he go back. When the soldier tried to brush past her, Mary Jane pushed him and he went tumbling down the stairs. Fortunately for everyone, the soldier was noticed by his commanding officer who followed and ordered him out.
William Edward Brown whose courage and hardihood caused him to be nicknamed "Little Pineknot" was cold and fatigued after a battle. He sought refuge from the cold wind between two dead soldiers. Suddenly he was awakened by his blanket being pulled off. He slowly arose, causing the thieves to drop their loot and make a hasty retreat. Pilfering of this kind was common during the War.
The Brown House Store, often called today, "The Williams-Brown House Store," was in the Brown family for almost 150 years. It was sold to William Watts in 1963. Mr. Watts has offered the historic building to the Salem Historical Society provided they move it from the site. The Salem Historical Society hopes to save this historical house by moving it to a hill nearby, across from East Hill Cemetery. This would keep the original character of the house along the "Great Road" west.
It was the first structure in our area to have the honor of being placed on the Virginia Landmark Register and the National Register of historic places. "A landmark is defined as 'something which once removed from the landscape leaves the horizon poorer for its loss.'"
Note: This information about the Brown family in the early days when Salem, Virginia was part of Botetourt County and in the years that followed, was taken from an impressive Brown Family Genealogy researched and written by a descendant, Annie Rhodes Marshall. Mrs. Marshall has been kind and generous to share her information.
The following is quoted from the website http://www.vahistorical.org/salem.htm regarding a well-known Virginia painting which I have a copy of hanging on my wall, and which shows the Williams-Brown residence in 1855:
Churches, Blacksmith Shop and College: A View of Salem of Virginia in 1855
Edward Beyer
Oil on canvas
29 X 48 in.
Virginia Historical Society, gift of Lora Robins, E. Claiborne Robins, Jr., Bruce C. Gottwald,
Paul Mellon, D. Tennant Bryan, Henry F. Stern, Mrs. E. Schneider, and Thomas Towers
Edward Beyer was commissioned to paint a panorama of Salem by some twenty gentlemen of the town. He called it "Churches, Blacksmith Shop and College: A View of Salem of Virginia in 1855." In it we see the buildings and their positions in the landscape, and how people dressed, worked, and traveled in this setting. A comparison of Beyer's view of Salem with nineteenth-century maps, photographs, and written accounts that describe the town is revealing about the artist's methods. Typically with such towns, he positioned himself at a high vantage point where he could take in the breadth of the town and most of the key buildings, which he plotted on his canvas with the accuracy of a geographer. Some near and far buildings inevitably were juxtaposed by his line of sight, so Beyer varied the value of his colors to suggest their spatial relationships. Near buildings are more intensely colored than distant ones. Then the artist proceeded to paint microscopic details that, in the field, cannot be perceived at such a distance by the human eye. He must have had a telescope for distant details and may have used a camera obscura for nearer ones.
Both before and after visiting Virginia, Beyer was involved in producing large narrative panoramas, turned on revolving drums, which viewers paid to watch. Although the Salem view is static, Beyer approaches it in much the same way as a moving panorama. We enter the town on Main Street, like the foreground couple on horseback, and then we proceed to tour Salem, at least visually. We have passed F. Johnston's terraced garden on the right. We approach the brown sheds that are Mr. Daly's blacksmith shop. Two doors down is Joshua Brown's brick house. We encounter townspeople as we proceed. At the other end of Main Street is the white steeple of the Presbyterian church. Halfway there -- where two wagons have driven -- is the Lutheran church, recognizable by its cupola. Turning right at that church, we proceed up a hill, past the porticoed courthouse to the white-steepled Methodist church, near the center of the picture. Beyond and distant is the classical main building of Roanoke College, dedicated seven years earlier.
Family Members
Children
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
