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