Maj. Oliver May Brown was born in New York State 25 Sept. 1826 and died 25 Nov 1910 
at the Soldiers & Sailors Home, Sandusky, OH. On 21 Sept 1827 he married Celia Mariett Burrall 
in Battle Creek, MI. She was born 02 Oct 1821 in CT. Oliver was a blacksmith and owned a canal boat. 
By the start of the Civil War, they had two sons: 
Charles Oliver Brown, born 23 July 1848 and Arthur Glen Brown, born 14 Apr 1854. 
When Lincoln issued the call for volunteers, Oliver helped organize this unit. 
He spoke to his first-born son, Charles, and said "I must go. This is God's call 
to save the nation and free the slaves." Charles, at age 13, joined his father, 
at first as groomsman, then later as "The Boy Bugler of Sherman's Army". 
They fought in many battles together. Oliver was shot in the shoulder and taken prisoner 
at Lexington, KY. Col. Zahm wrote Oliver the following letter while he was still held prisoner: 
Nov. 24, 1832 from a Camp near Nashville, TN

"I am glad to hear that your shoulder is nearly well, and that you feel well enough for duty again. 
The prospect now is that you will soon be exchanged, of which fact I shall be very glad, as we 
need you and your brother officers and men very much and regret that you could not have been with us, 
for we have had a great deal to do since your capture. We have encountered Morgan's men twice 
since you left, and drove them both times, and captured thirty of his men, some twenty-five mules, 
besides any quantity of wheat, flour, beans, bacon, corn and oats in sacks. We have been kept 
very busy all the time until four days past, when we arrived here. We are now busy refitting somewhat, 
and may remain here this month out. The 1st Ohio has been added to my Brigade."
Charles promised his father that if he ever heard of him killing anyone, he would not speak 
of it in his presence. The following was related by Charles O. Brown in an interview: 
"At the Battle of Murfreesboro when our company was charging, Company C in the lead, 
two Confederates sprang up from the corner of a rail fence and fired at Father. One bullet 
cut both of his bridle reins in two and the other cut his trousers just under the suspender buttons. 
Seeing that they failed to kill my father, they came at him with their bayonets. He shot one with 
the last bullet in his revolver, then with his sabre,he ran the other through with his sword. 
I do not say he killed them, but both were lying as if dead."
Oliver went home to Ohio and his wife after the war. He was a Preacher who earned his living as 
a blacksmith. The rest of his life was spent in Ohio, close to his wife, in peace.