Mary Ann Berry was born to William and Lydia Berry. She met her husband, Ivory Brown in 1861, and they married on August 12, 1861. Ivory served for three months in the 1st Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment, then enlisted in the 31st Maine Infantry in 1864. Mary likely enlisted as a nurse and disguised herself as a soldier to remain close to her husband. She later claimed to have "carried a musket...and fought like the rest of them". She stated she joined because "slavery was an awful thing and we were determined to fight it down". After the war, Mary and Ivory returned to Maine and worked a small farm in Brownfield for nearly 40 years. They had a daughter named Lydia. In the late 1890s, Ivory's health declined and he began to claim his war pension. He died of kidney disease. Mary outlived him by 30 years, but grew senile and was placed in the local Farrington Hospital, where she died at the age of 95.
She was featured in a Civil War exhibit from 2012–2013, and in 2016, a fundraiser was begun to place a headstone to commemorate her in the Brownfield Pine Grove Cemetery, next to her husband. It was installed on September 13, 2017.
She was featured in a Civil War exhibit from 2012–2013, and in 2016, a fundraiser was begun to place a headstone to commemorate her in the Brownfield Pine Grove Cemetery, next to her husband. It was installed on September 13, 2017.
Mary Ann Berry was born to William and Lydia Berry. She met her husband, Ivory Brown in 1861, and they married on August 12, 1861. Ivory served for three months in the 1st Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment, then enlisted in the 31st Maine Infantry in 1864. Mary likely enlisted as a nurse and disguised herself as a soldier to remain close to her husband. She later claimed to have "carried a musket...and fought like the rest of them". She stated she joined because "slavery was an awful thing and we were determined to fight it down". After the war, Mary and Ivory returned to Maine and worked a small farm in Brownfield for nearly 40 years. They had a daughter named Lydia. In the late 1890s, Ivory's health declined and he began to claim his war pension. He died of kidney disease. Mary outlived him by 30 years, but grew senile and was placed in the local Farrington Hospital, where she died at the age of 95.
She was featured in a Civil War exhibit from 2012–2013, and in 2016, a fundraiser was begun to place a headstone to commemorate her in the Brownfield Pine Grove Cemetery, next to her husband. It was installed on September 13, 2017.
She was featured in a Civil War exhibit from 2012–2013, and in 2016, a fundraiser was begun to place a headstone to commemorate her in the Brownfield Pine Grove Cemetery, next to her husband. It was installed on September 13, 2017.
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