John Brown was born on February 3, 1811, in Almond, New York, to John Brown. He worked as a farmer in Almond before the war, and by 1860, he owned $3,500 of real estate. He married Caroline Andrews, and they had at least six children: Charlotte, born around 1835; Franklin, born around 1837; Lucy, born around 1839; Salina, born around 1841; Louisa, born around 1844; and Ira, born around 1845. He enlisted in the Union army on August 31, 1862, and received a $50 bounty from the town of Almond. According to his service records, he was 6 feet, 2 inches tall, with dark hair and gray eyes. He apparently lied about his age, claiming that he was only 44 years old. He mustered in as a private in Company G of the 160th New York Infantry on October 9, 1862. He was stationed in Louisiana and developed severe “intestinal trouble.” He was discharged in June 1864 and died in Almond on October 17, 1864.