Thornsbury Bailey Brown facts for kids

Thornsbury Bailey Brown (born May 15, 1829 – died May 22, 1861) was a soldier from what is now Taylor County, West Virginia. He is widely known as the first soldier from the Union side to be killed by a Confederate soldier during the American Civil War. Brown was a private in a local group called the Grafton Guards, which supported the Union. He was killed by a Confederate-supporting soldier near Fetterman, West Virginia. Interestingly, both soldiers were from the same general area.

The Day He Died

On May 22, 1861, Private Thornsbury Bailey Brown and Lieutenant Daniel Wilson, both from the Grafton Guards, traveled from Grafton to a meeting in Pruntytown. Their goal was to find and recruit more men to join the Union army.

As they returned that evening, they met three members of a Confederate-supporting group called the Letcher Guards. These three men, George E. Glenn, Daniel W. S. Knight, and William Reese, were on "picket duty" at the Fetterman Bridge. Picket duty means they were standing guard to watch for danger. The bridge was an important spot where a main road crossed railroad tracks.

The Confederate guards ordered Wilson and Brown to stop. Brown then fired his pistol, perhaps to test the guards. His shot injured Knight's ear. In response, Knight and possibly his friends fired back, killing Brown. This event made T. Bailey Brown the first Union soldier to die in combat during the Civil War. More specifically, he was the first Union soldier killed by a Confederate soldier.

Other Early Deaths in the War

While Thornsbury Bailey Brown is known for being the first Union soldier killed by a Confederate, other Union soldiers died very early in the war too. For example, at the surrender of Fort Sumter on April 14, 1861, a Union cannon accidentally exploded. This accident killed Private Daniel Hough and badly wounded Private Edward Galloway. These deaths were tragic accidents, not from enemy fire.

Another famous early death was Union Colonel Elmer E. Ellsworth. He was killed on May 24, 1861, two days after Brown died. Ellsworth was shot in Alexandria, Virginia, while taking down a Confederate flag. He was killed by a hotel owner who supported the Confederacy.

So, while others died, Brown's death stands out because it was a direct encounter between soldiers from opposing sides, making him the first combat death for the Union.

Why His Death Was Special

Some stories about Brown's death bring up questions about whether it was truly a "combat" situation or if it had a personal reason. One account says that Brown had previously reported Knight to the sheriff for stealing a cow. This might suggest that Knight's shooting of Brown was about revenge, not just war. Another story says Knight had promised to get even with Brown after his arrest.

However, even with these personal details, Brown and Knight met as soldiers representing their different sides. Brown was a Union supporter, and Knight was a Confederate supporter. Because of this, Thornsbury Bailey Brown is still remembered as the first Northern or Union-supporting soldier to be killed by a Southern or Confederate-supporting soldier in the Civil War.

What Happened After

After Brown was killed, the Confederates took his body to their camp. Their commander, Colonel George A. Porterfield, at first refused to return the body. When the Union-supporting Grafton Guards heard this, a group led by Captain George R. Latham started marching toward the Confederate camp. They were ready to take Brown's body by force if needed.

However, before they reached the camp, they met a group of Confederates who were already returning the body to Grafton. Brown was first buried in his family's burial plot.

Years later, in June 1903, Brown's body was moved to the Grafton National Cemetery in Grafton, West Virginia. In 1928, a tall stone monument (called an obelisk) was placed on his grave. This monument, which is 12 feet high, honors Private Brown as the first Union soldier to die in combat during the war. A special marker was also placed near the exact spot where he died.