BIO: Thomas BROWNLEE, Huntingdon County, PA

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Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of the Juniata Valley: 
Comprising the Counties of Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata and Perry, 
Pennsylvania, Containing Sketches of Prominent and Representative 
Citizens and Many of the Early Settlers.  Chambersburg, Pa.: J. M. 
Runk & Co., 1897, pages 406-407.
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  THOMAS BROWNLEE, Three Springs, Huntingdon county, Pa., was born in 
Scotland, in 1827, son of John and Mary (Brownlee) Brownlee. John 
Brownlee was born in Scotland, and he married and died there. He served 
for twenty-one years in the English army, and died about 1837. His wife 
died in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1876. Their children are: Jane, born in 
1894, married John Henderson, resides in Glasgow; Thomas; Margaret, 
married first to Henry Croston, afterwards to John Moore, died in 
Glasgow; William, deceased; Anna married William Moore, and died in 
Glasgow.
  Thomas Brownlee was ten years of age when his father died. The family 
had no means of support, and their maintenance devolved upon him as 
their eldest son. He could obtain no education, except what he was able 
to glean for himself. Child as he was, he went to work in the coal 
banks at Dixon's colliery, near Glasgow, where he was paid the small 
sum of one shilling a day. All his earnings were given to his mother, 
until the girls became old enough to work, and were employed in the 
mills of Glasgow. Mr. Brownlee worked fourteen years in the coal banks, 
his pay being gradually increased. In August, 1853, he went to 
Liverpool, and engaged passage for America on board the sailing vessel 
"Empire." After a voyage of six weeks, he landed September 3, in New 
York, with one sovereign in his pocket. At seventeen years of age, 
Thomas Brownlee had married in Glasgow, Rosamond McDonald, who was then 
fifteen years and six months of age. When he came to this country, he 
had not the means to pay for the passage of his wife and two children; 
but he was determined to try to better their fortunes in the "land of 
the free." From New York, Mr. Brownlee went to Paterson, N.J., where he 
obtained employment in Butler's paper mill, at one dollar per day. At 
the end of two months, he left the paper mill for the boiler shop of 
the locomotive works at Paterson, where he was employed at $1.25. 
Thirteen months later, he was able to send home for his wife and 
family. He continued for five years to work in the same place; then he 
was employed in the locomotive works at Jersey City, N.J., until the 
war of the Rebellion broke out. Mr. Brownlee enlisted, August 13, 1861, 
in Company I, First New Jersey Cavalry. During part of his term of 
service, he was color bearer. The regiment proceeded to Washington, 
D.C., where the men were mounted. Mr. Brownlee's first engagement was 
soon after they went to the front. He received numerous saber wounds, 
as he fought gallantly all through the war, being in every battle in 
which his brigade took part. Among them were the battles of Gettysburg, 
Petersburg, Black Water, Antietam, the Wilderness, Richmond, and many 
others. He was discharged June 29, 1865, at the Washington hospital, 
where he was lying disabled by wounds.
  Mr. Brownlee returned home, and removed with his wife and family to 
Dudley, Pa., where he worked for a short time in the coal mines; then 
to Robertsdale, Pa., where he was employed in the coal mines for nine 
years. He was then obliged to give up that kind of work, on account of 
wounds received during the war; particularly a bullet wound received at 
the battle of Five Forks, where he was shot through the left lung; the 
ball was never found, and still remains to trouble him. In April, 1884, 
Mr. Brownlee removed from Robertsdale to his farm in Clay township. But 
his wife, failing in health, was anxious to be with her children at 
Hartford, Conn.; so he sold his farm, and took her there; but one month 
later, she died. Two months after her death, he returned to Three 
Springs, and there built himself a home. After remaining a widower for 
seven years, Mr. Brownlee was married, February 19, 1889, to Mary J. 
Montgomery, widow of Richard Martin, and daughter of Jacob and 
Elizabeth (Hampson) Montgomery. They have no children.
  The children of the first marriage are: John; Mary A., deceased; 
Thomas, machinist, at Hartford, Conn.; Maggie (Mrs. Patrick Sloan), of 
Defiance, Pa.; William, of Hartford, Conn.; and three who died in 
infancy. The eldest son, John Brownlee, was a boy of twelve when his 
father was in the army; with the idea of going to see his father, he 
ran away from school, and enlisted at Paterson, N.J., as a drummer boy, 
in the Seventeenth United States Infantry. His regiment was assigned to 
the Fifth Army Corps, and he served five years. John Brownlee 
afterwards learned the trade of machinist, and worked his way up in the 
machine shop at Jersey City; he is now superintendent of the United 
States Arsenal at that place, is married and has a family.
  Thomas Brownlee is Republican in his politics. He is a comrade of 
Colonel Albright Post, No. 483, at Three Springs. His church connection 
is with the Methodist denomination.