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William M.Browne Confederate General Born in Mayo 1823

theirishatwar

#OnThisDay 1823 William M. Browne was born in Mayo, the fifth son of D. Geoffrey Browne, MP. Details of William’s early life are sparse and it is unclear what higher education qualifications he had or that he served with the British Army in the Crimean War. The records become fruitful again when he is residing in New York City in 1855.

In 1861 Browne moved to Athens, Georgia and became close with the newly elected Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his Secretary of State Robert Tooms.  Browne was appointed Assistant Secretary of State and was acting Secretary of State for the Confederacy

in March 1862 he left the Secretary of State position and became military aide-de-camp to Confederate President Davis & later temporary Brigadier General in the Confederate Army. He was appointed Commandant of Conscription in Georgia and didn’t see much fighting. Browne survived the war but apparently died in relative poverty despite some high class positions.

220px-Browne,_William_Montague_2

Christian Davies, Dublin Woman & British Soldier dies 1739

theirishatwar

#OnThisDay 1739 Christian Davies died. Davies, a Dublin woman, joined the British Army to find her husband who had been press ganged into the service. Initially she joined Captain Tichborne’s company of foot under the name Christopher Welch and as an infantryman, she fought at the Battle of Landen (where Patrick Sarsfield was mortally wounded) July 1693. During the battle she was wounded and captured by the French, but in 1694 she was exchanged. Her sex was still a mystery to both armies.

She was discharged for killing a sergeant in a fight over a woman but with her mission of finding her husband still incomplete, she rejoined the 2nd Royal North British Dragoons (The Royal Scots Greys and fought until the Peace of Ryswick, ending the Nine Years’ War.

She reenlisted with the Scot’s Greys at the outbreak of the War of Spanish Succession in 1701, where she was known as the “pretty/handsome dragoon”. During that war she fought at the Battle of Schellenburg, was shot in the thigh but wouldn’t let that stop her fighting in the next battle in a few months’ time at the Battle of Blenheim.

It was here that after thirteen years she found her husband, in the arms of a Dutch woman! She dumped him and took up with another Scot’s Dragoon, although she and her ex-husband got on well and he kept her secret.

She stayed in the Army until 1706 at the Battle of Ramillies where she was severely wounded. It was then that her secret got out. Her pay was continued until she was discharged but was allowed to become a Sutleress. The Scots Greys’ Officers bought her a new wardrobe when leaving.

She remarried two more times and spent the rest of her life in Ireland and Britain and passed away in the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

Christian Davies