Looking for Information on Col. William H. Browne, 45th Virginia

Luke Freet

2nd Lieutenant
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There is very little I can find online about this officer. He was a West Point cadet in 1861, and by the time of his death at the Battle of Piedmont he was 25 years old. I am always interested in the Boy Colonels and Generals (Henry Burgwyn, John C. C. Sanders, Moxley Sorrel, etc), so, I would love to find more information on this man. Photographs would be nice if they could be found.
 
There is very little I can find online about this officer. He was a West Point cadet in 1861, and by the time of his death at the Battle of Piedmont he was 25 years old. I am always interested in the Boy Colonels and Generals (Henry Burgwyn, John C. C. Sanders, Moxley Sorrel, etc), so, I would love to find more information on this man. Photographs would be nice if they could be found.

Forty-fifth Virginia Infantry




Report of Col. William H. Browne, Forty-fifth Virginia Infantry.

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. VA.,
August 29, 1863.
COLONEL: Pursuant to General Orders, No. --, I respectfully
submit the following report of the part taken by my regiment in the
battle of White Sulphur Springs on the 26th and 27th instant:

Under our direction I formed my line of battle, the left joining
Lieutenant-Colonel Edgar's right, at the junction of the White
Sulphur Springs and the Warm Springs turnpike with the Anthony's
Creek road, my line extending across the low ground to the base of
the ridge on the right. By your order I also sent 100 men under
Captain Thompson, Company A, to occupy the ridge upon our right.

Soon after I had formed my line of battle and caused a barricade
of rails to be built in my front Captain Thompson notified me that
the enemy was pressing him. I immediately sent another company
with Lieutenant-Colonel Harman and ordered him to take command
upon the ridge. In a very short while Lieutenant-Colonel Harman
sent me word the enemy in force were endeavoring to turn our right
flank, which information was sent to you. I awaited your order,
which was to occupy the ridge with my whole regiment. I did so,
my right resting on the brow of the first hill at a point opposite the
toll-gate, my left opposite a point on the road about 100 yards below
the burned house and facing from the same, thus forming a line longer
than my regiment, which I occupied by placing my men on the strongest
points.

Previous to my arrival, Lieutenant-Colonel Harman had repulsed
the advance of the enemy. While placing my men in the position
indicated, my left was attacked. Major Davis, whom I had left in
charge of the center, ordered a company forward to support the left
wing, and skirmishers under Lieutenant-Colonel Harman. This
order being promptly executed, the enemy was repulsed. This
company moved forward l00 yards beyond and perpendicular to the line
of my left wing, which line I afterward adopted as my line of
defense.

When I first occupied the ridge under your order, I found Major
Woodram, of the Twenty-sixth Virginia Battalion, with one
company and parts of two companies of said battalion. I placed this
detachment, with two companies of my regiment, on a ridge upon my
right, and left them in charge of Major Woodram.

The company which had advanced to the front of the left wing
being heavily pressed by the enemy, another company was placed in
position upon its left. These two companies, under Lieutenant
Colonel Harman, repelled four successive charges of the enemy.
During this time the enemy were skirmishing in front of my center
and right flank, but was promptly driven back, and Lieutenant
Colonel Harman re-enforced by two companies and a half from my
first line.

Ascertaining the enemy was preparing to attack me in greater
force, I found it necessary to strengthen my line of defense, and
Colonel Dunn's battalion was ordered forward to my right, which
was promptly done under direction of Major Davis, and in time to
assist me in resisting two furious attacks of the enemy re-enforced.
This battalion was under command of Major Claiborne. I take
pleasure in attesting the gallant bearing of the officers and men of
that command while these events were transpiring. Lieutenant
Colonel Edgar requested re-enforcements, and I sent him about 40
men.

During the night Lieutenant-Colonel Edgar's men, under Major
Woodram, were sent to him, and my re-enforcement to Colonel Edgar
withdrawn. My line extended to the right by the addition of the
companies withdrawn from Major Woodram, and Lieutenant-Colonel
Edgar was strengthened by rails and logs forming a barricade. My
entire regiment now occupied the line of my defense. At dawn of
day on the morning of the 27th, I repulsed another attack of the
enemy, after which there was no more fighting upon my front, except
an occasional shot from the tree-tops.

During the engagement I kept a line of skirmishers from my left
wing along the ridge in the direction of Lieutenant-Colonel Edgar's
right, who, in connection with my left wing, gave a cross-fire to any
advance upon Lieutenant-Colonel Edgar's front.

During the engagement I repulsed eight separate and distinct
charges of the enemy, besides frequent engagements with his
skirmishers. In a majority of these charges the enemy came within the
distance of fifteen or twenty paces of my line, and I am well satisfied
I did him great damage, capturing some, killing and wounding large
numbers. Notwithstanding the long marches my men had made
(having marched about 100 miles during the four days preceding the
engagement), I had no stragglers or skulkers. I have never on any
battle-field seen men act cooler and braver; they fought with a
determination to do or die.

I hope it will not be invidious to particularize Company F,
commanded by Lieutenant Crockett, and Company C, commanded by
Captain Cox, until he was wounded, afterwards by Lieutenant
Blevins. Men never acted better, having alone repulsed four attacks of
the enemy in vastly superior force.

The assistance rendered by my field-officers and adjutant was
inestimable. It is scarcely necessary to say that they behaved with
marked gallantry.

My surgeon, Dr. B. H. Hoyt, rendered every needful attention to
the wounded, and exhibited the highest surgical skill in his
operations and treatment.

Inclosed you will find a list* of the casualties in my regiment resulting
from the action.

Your obedient servant,

WM. H. BROWNE,
Colonel, Commanding Forty-fifth Virginia Regiment.

Col. GEORGE S. PATTON,
Commanding First Brigade, Army of Western Virginia.

Source: Official Records
CHAP. XLI.] AVERELL'S RAID IN WEST VIRGINIA. PAGE 62-48
[Series I. Vol. 29. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 48.]
 
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