Henry Harrison Brown (1838-1922) was an 18 year-old shoe-cutter in Abington, Plymouth county, Massachusetts when he married Martha A. Roberts in 1857. It was a trade handed down from his father, Austin Brown (1798-1884), and probably from his grandfather. Henry was 26 years old and the father of two children when he left the work-a-day world of shoemaking to join the army. According to muster rolls, Henry enlisted on 27 February 1864 in the US Signal Corps and was discharged from the service on 26 August 1865.

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Georgetown [District of Columbia]
March 18th [1864]

I take this time to write you a few lines to let you know that I am well and I trust that this will find you in good health. I like [it] here very well. We have a good tent with a good stove and good bunks to sleep in. There is 8 in the tent that I live in. There is a Baptist minister in our tent from Ohio. He preaches Sunday nights. There is prayer meetings Thursday nights here. Sundays we have a chance to go to Georgetown to meeting if we like. I went last Sunday to an Episcopal Church.

I do not expect to stay here very long. I just heard there has been a call for a 120 men from this camp. I am to be examined in flag drill tomorrow and if I can drill well enough, I shall very likely go into the field soon. I hear that we shall go to Tennessee but we cannot tell until we go.

I wish you would see to getting Martha’s state aid when it is due. My state bounty I expect next week. Although I do not have many comforts of home, yet we all enjoy ourselves most of the time very well. I think I shall like it first rate when we get into the field.

I must now close. Give my respects to Isaiah and wife and all friends. Good night. Write soon and tell me all the news in Abington. Direct to Henry H. Brown, Signal Camp, Georgetown, D. C.