Kady Brownell was a vivandière who helped the Union army during the American Civil War. She was a daughter of the regiment, 1st Rhode Island Infantry Volunteers ("Mechanics Rifles") and 5th Rhode Island Infantry Volunteer.
Background
Brownell was born in 1842 in Kaffraria, South Africa, the daughter of a British Army colonel, George Southwell. Kady’s mother died soon after Kady’s birth. Duncan and Alice McKenzie, good friends or possibly relatives of the Southwells, offered to take the baby into their home. Alice may have even been a wet nurse for the child. The McKenzies, at some point and for reasons unknown, took Kady away from Africa and her father and came to the United States. As far as is known, Kady never returned to Africa.
Career
On April 17, 1861, Robert S. Brownell, Jr., whom Kady later join, enrolled as a private in Company H, of the same regiment. The regiment was mustered into national service on May 2, 1861, and on July 21, 1861, the regiment participated in the First Battle of Bull Run, Virginia. Kady was wounded that day, as the regiment retreated when a piece of shot struck her in the upper third section of her right thigh, and she was treated by the regimental surgeon. Kady McKenzie and Robert Brownell, along with the rest of the regiment, were honorably discharged in Providence, Rhode Island, on August 1, 1861.
On October 17, 1861, Robert S. Brownell, Jr., enlisted as First Sergeant, Company A, Fifth Regiment Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, and Kady accompanied him. They were present at the battle of Newbern, North Carolina, March 14, 1862. There, First Sergeant Robert Brownell was wounded and Kady prevented a major catastrophe. She risked her life by running in front of a line of other Union soldiers who were preparing to shoot at her company. In the smoke and fog, she got the attention of the shooters, and then she got the attention of the world.
On November 7, 1863, Kady McKenzie and Robert S, Brownell were married by the Rev. William McDonald of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in Providence, Rhode Island. The Brownells lived in Providence and then moved to New York. In 1884, Kady Brownell received a pension as Daughter of the Regiment, First Regiment Rhode Island Detached Militia (Infantry), for her wound at the First Battle of Bull Run, by a Special Act of the United States Congress.
Achievements
Kady was one of a few women who participated in combat during the Civil War, at Bull Run (Sharpsburg) and New Bern. Some said that she was an expert shot, known for quickness and accuracy, and handled a sword as well as any man could.
Kady's actions were described in poems and stories, and she eventually received a government pension in recognition of her service as the daughter of the regiment.
Personality
Brownell devised a modified uniform for herself, consisting of pants and boots, topped with a knee-length skirt and blouse and cinched with a tasseled sash. She carried a sword and a rifle and practiced using them.
Physical Characteristics:
Kady was five feet tall, with a dark complexion, dark hair, and blue eyes.
Quotes from others about the person
"She dresses in bloomer costume with black pants, a closely fitting bodice with a skirt coming nearly to the knees, men’s boots with her pants tucked inside and a nice velvet hat." - Oliver Cromwell Case
"I saw her with the regiment Thursday straining through the mud with her blanket on her shoulder, equal to the best of them." - Oliver Cromwell Case
Connections
Kady met a man named Robert Brownell. They fell in love, but there was a slight complication. Robert was already married. His wife soon discovered the romance and divorced him. She married Robert S. Brownell in April 1861.
