American Civil War Medal of Honor Recipient. He received the award in September 1863 for his actions as a private in Company F, 21st Ohio Infantry, US Army, during Andrew's Raid (also known as the Great Locomotive Chase), on April 12, 1862 in northern Georgia during the America Civil War. Born in Logan County, Ohio, he enlisted in the US Army in September 1861 and was mustered into Company F of the Ohio Infantry two weeks later. After participating in the Battle of Ivy Mountain, Kentucky, during the Big Sandy Expedition, he was selected to partake in a military raid, due to his experience as a locomotive engineer, led by civilian scout James J. Andrews, going behind enemy lines to commandeer a passenger train (a locomotive and one passenger car) at Big Shanty, Georgia, and take it north to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Their intent was to destroy rail and telegraph lines along the way, and disrupt Confederate Army advances on Chattanooga. The Confederate Army pursued the stolen train for nearly 100 miles before the locomotive was abandoned and the raiders were eventually rounded up. Brown was held as a prisoner of war until being exchanged in late 1862. Promoted to the rank of sergeant, he later saw action at the Battle of Stones River, Tennessee, the Battle of Dug Gap, Georgia, and the Battle of Chickamauga, Tennessee, where he was wounded. He was discharged from the Union Army in May 1864 and returned to Ohio. He died at the age of 78. His Medal of Honor citation reads: "The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Private Wilson W. Brown, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on April, 1862, while serving with Company G, 21st Ohio Infantry, in action during the Andrew's Raid in Georgia. Private Brown was one of the 19 of 22 men (including two civilians) who, by direction of General Mitchell (or Buell), penetrated nearly 200 miles south into enemy territory and captured a railroad train at Big Shanty, Georgia, in an attempt to destroy the bridges and track between Chattanooga and Atlanta." In 1956, Walt Disney Studios released the adventure film, "The Great Locomotive Chase" and his role was played by Western songwriter and actor Stan Jones.