Kady Brownell

Kady Brownell of South Kingstown is the most famous Rhode Islander that you’ve never heard of.  Born in 1842 in Africa, she was the only woman to be granted a pension and an honorable discharge from the Union Army during the Civil War under her own men.  Several women served on both sides of the war.  Some disguised themselves as men, others served as nurses, and support troops, still others took up the arms of their fallen husbands and bravely finished tasks that were left undone by the dead.  Kady was a little different.  She served as the flag bearer for her unit, but insisted on being trained in the arts of war alongside her male compatriots.  She also on several occasions took up arms against the enemy troops.  And never once, did she disguise herself or her gender.

            Kady grew up on an army base in Africa, the daughter of an Army Colonel.  Her mother had died in childbirth, leaving young Kady to be raised by the British Army.  She grew up fierce and independent, refusing to let anyone tell her how to live her own life.  When she was seventeen she moved to South Kingstown, Rhode Island, USA to live with relatives.  She took work in a mill, but soon fell in love with Robert Brownell.  Unfortunately for Kady, Robert Brownell was already married.  Kady’s fierce streak won out in the end, and Robert left his wife for the impetuous young girl from British Africa.  Soon after their marriage the Civil War broke out and Robert left to do his civic duty.  But if Robert’s wife couldn’t keep the two apart the War Between the States certainly wasn’t going to stop them.   Kady insisted on accompanying her new husband to the South.

            There are many accounts of Kady’s exploits during the civil war, but few agree on all the facts.  While her husband was enlisted with the First Rhode Island Regiment Kady took up the position of Flag Bearer.  Her job was to rally the troops around her, letting the flag become a beacon to the troops.  The job of flag bearer was traditionally given to a young boy, and though flag bearers did not fight the job was considered extremely dangerous.  Enemy troops would often strike down the flag bearer to sow confusion in the ranks.  Kady carried the flag into several battles, it is impossible to say exactly how many.  The nature of her fighting combat us also unclear.  Some sources have her taking over one of the cannons after her husband’s death, but other sources seem to imply that her husband survived the whole of the war.  One account that I liked was from a book called Women of the War, it says that Kady saved the lives of “perhaps a score of fellows” by running into the middle of a battlefield with the flag because she alone realized that the two advancing lines were really on the same side of the war.  The two groups realize their mistake and join forces to attack a Confederate regiment to the south.  Yet other sources have her distracting the enemy troops by running across the battlefield with the flag and confusing the enemy. 
            Whatever the truth may be, it is certainly true that Kady Brownell was a brave and interesting character.  It truly is a shame that she is not more widely known, especially here in South Kingstown, where she lived the majority of her life.   More information can be found about Kady Brownell in “I’ll Pass For Your Comrade: Women Soldiers in the Civil War” by Anita Silvey and “Rhode Island: A genial History” by Paul F. Eno



Women of the War; Their Heroism and Self-Sacrifice by Frank Moore, S.S. Scranton & Co. 1867

Brass Points

Today’s article is the first in a series called “Found in Collections: Objects.” This series will focus on the countless objects that are not currently on display here at the OWCJ.

Our subject is very near and dear to my heart. I have spent quite a bit of time on archaeological digs, hoping to run across one of these facinating objects. While I never found one in the ground, I was delighted to find two in our collection.

When Europeans first made contact with the Native Americans they brought many items to trade. They knew that they would need to establish positive relationships with the people who had called North America home for thousands of years. And one of the best ways to do that is to bring new goods for gifts and trade. Europeans brought many new items; glassware, colorful beads, guns, and metal goods.  Brass kettles were one of the most common metal objects given to the indigenous population.  The Natives in New England did not produce brass, but hey also had no need for a kettle.  They were more than happy with the clay pots they used for generations.  Notheless the kettles were accepted greatfully, but instead of using them to boil water they would cut up the brass for use for other objects, mosly beads and points.

These are two flat, triangular brass points, or “arrow heads.” A Native would have hafted these on to a piece of wood to make an arrow. A thread would be tied through the small hole you see in the center to help attach it to the shaft. These brass points can aquire a much sharper edge than the old stone points.  Not only do they represent trade between the Europeans and the Natives, they show us how European influence changed native technologies and warfare.  

These tiny gems are a part of our very large Native American tool collection. Almost all of our collection is comprised of lithics, or stone tools.  We have thousands of lithics in storage. In another post, I will tell you more about lithic technology.

If you would like to see these points or any part of our lithic collection, stop by the Old Washington County Jail Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday from 1-4pm. We look forward to seeing you!

-Eleanor

Mid-Week Pictorial

Next year marks the 100th anniversary of World War I.  While looking through stacks of old newspaper I found three of these pull-out sections from 1915 issues of the New York Times.  They contain photo essays depicting scenes from war-torn Europe. 

 

 

There is a ton of interesting information in these photos.  In 1915 America had already declared its neutrality in the Great War.  President Woodrow Wilson asked American citizens to be neutral “in thought and deed”.  The New York Times at first look seems to be complying.  In the photo to the left you can see pictures from the fortifications of both sides of the war. 

 

 

 

Although President Wilson requested neutrality, many Americans were eager to enter the war.  Here in the Northeast most people were sympathetic to the British and French cause.  The New York Times appears to be giving some preference to this side.  The centerfold of the newspaper highlights the faces of the Belgian royal children.  The German invasion of Belgium brought Great Britain into the war.  I would guess that the New York Times was trying to bring some sympathy to the Allies by choosing these photos for the centerfold.

 

 

 

 

Of course, two years after these pictures were published the U.S. did join in the Great War on the side of the Allies.  The U.S. helped to bring an end to the destruction of the continent.  This photo shows interior shots from the destruction of a church in rural France.   

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

World War I really did effect the whole world.  Pictures in this collection show troops from the Ottoman Empire, Romania, India, and Egypt.  The New York Times managed to catch scenes from all of the different theatres of war.



These are just some of the newspapers we have in our collection.  We have around two hundred newspapers ranging in age from 1775 to 1970.  Come on in to PHS to check out our archives and I'm sure we'll find something interesting to show you.  Hope to see you soon.

 

Patricia 

New Drawings of the Baker Mural

The mural today

Here at the Old Washington County Jail, one of our most popular exhibits is Ernest Hamlin Baker's The Economic Activities of the Narragansett Planters. Baker painted this mural in 1939 for the Wakefield Post Office having been commissioned by the Treasury Department's Section of Painting and Sculpture. Every year PHS receives numerous visits from college students, school groups, and individuals who wish to study the mural and its themes. Many remember seeing it in the Wakefield Post Office before it was moved here to PHS in 1998 after the Post Office shut down, others are seeing it for the first time.

In the summer of 2012 a woman came in and requested to see the mural. You can imagine our surprise when she told us that her name was June Williams and that she was the granddaughter of Ernest Hamlin Baker. What an opportunity it was for us here at PHS to hear some of her anecdotes about her grandfather and his art. At the end of her visit, she briefly mentioned that she had some concept sketches and photos of him working on the mural that she might consider donating.



The Artist at Work

Fast forward to early March of 2013; with Ms. William's visit as a distant, yet fond memory we were conducting business as usual when a large package arrived in the mail. Inside, there were several photos of the mural's production, a photo of the finished mural, one clipping of the mural from a magazine, six concept sketches, and one unrelated drawing. With this astounding gift, most notably the concept sketches, we have a more comprehensive idea of Baker's thought process during production.

Certain themes and subjects were always part of Baker's plan. In every sketch, the Narragansett Pacer is prominently displayed. Slaves are seen herding sheep, moving grain, or stacking cheese boxes. At least one ship is always passing by in the background, and a planter is always perched on top of a horse, directing those below.

 

Other subjects got left out in Baker's final product. Natives stand on the far left side in some sketches: they wave to the viewer or inspect a husk of corn. Baker had planned to paint a windmill, before settling on the gristmill for the final painting, and at one point had included colonial homes. Even the layout of the painting evolved over time; he moved from a single cohesive scene to playing with the idea of a "polyptych" (multiple panels) that depicted daily life in Narragansett including fishing, hunting, and gambling. In the end these ideas were discarded.

For the moment, these concept sketches are not on display. That does not mean, however, that you cannot come in to view them! They are stored in our archives along with other documents related to Narragansett, South Kingstown, and Rhode Island history. Stop by Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday from 1-4pm to see them for yourself! We look forward to seeing you soon.

Eleanor 

Welcome

Welcome to the Pettaquamscutt Historical Society Blog.  Check back to this space every week for new articles highlighting objects in the collection, talking about life at the museum and telling you about upcoming events.  We have so many fascinating objects in the museum and library and only so much space to put them on display.  This blog will act as your backstage pass to the museum’s collections.  We hope to bring you interesting stories, fascinating objects along with some museum news.  Our first article will be published here next week on March 29.  After that we'll be updating every Friday morning with new content.  So please check back here regularly to make sure you catch up on all the doings here at PHS.