George William Brown

Born in Baltimore on October 13, 1812, he studied at Rutgers College, trained in law, and built a public career that included service as mayor of Baltimore and later as chief judge of the city's circuit court. He was also active in civic and educational life, helping shape public institutions in nineteenth-century Maryland.

For readers today, he is best remembered as the author of Baltimore and the Nineteenth of April, 1861: A Study of the War, a memoir and historical reflection on the opening shocks of the Civil War in Baltimore. The book stands out because it combines the perspective of a participant with the restraint of a lawyer and public official.

He died in 1890, but his writing remains a useful window into Baltimore politics, secession tensions, and everyday uncertainty at the start of the war. Anyone interested in Civil War history, urban history, or Maryland's role in the conflict will find his work especially rewarding.