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William Brogden

Wiliiam Brogden
1825-1899

William Brogden was born around 1825 in Maryland. (1) However, his war record lists his birthplace as Bucks County (2). His obituary reports that he was a slave in Virginia (3).*** We have records of William being in Fallsington in 1863 (1).

Feb 27, 1864, he enlisted at the age of 39. He was a Sergeant in the 32st Pennsylvania Infantry Company H. He served until June 16, 1865 (8) when he was discharged due to disability. (2) This is the same unit the Ganges brothers, also buried in Slate Hill, were a part of.

Organized and trained at Camp William Penn, they went into action on the southern sea islands near Hilton Head, SC. Poorly fed, this unit suffered from disease and scurvy, having as many die from illness and fever as were shot in battle. They also went into action at the Battle of Honey Hill near Savannah as the Union army used their attack from the coast to divert attention from Sherman’s advance from the west. Its commanders took several companies in sweeps of other sea islands around Charleston, raids on railroads trying to get supplies north to Lee, and finally the assault and surrender of Charleston. It saw other action and heavy losses around those railroads as news came of the surrender of Lee’s army, and then the assassination of Lincoln. It was on garrison duty near Beaufort, Hilton Head and Charleston until August of 1865, when it returned to Philadelphia for mustering out. It is safe to say William saw his fair share of war

The new gravemarker you see here was erected in 2020. The location of his original grave is unknown, therefore the LMT Historical Commission felt it fitting to locate it beside his brothers in arms, Torbut & William Ganges.

William Brogden married Caroline Long who was born in NJ c.1827 (5) which is where both of her parents were from. (1) They had a daughter Hannah (b. 1858), a daughter Harriet (b. 1868), and a son William Henry Brogden (b. 1873). Sadly, like so many women at the time, Caroline never learned to read or write. (1)

In the years after the war William worked as a day laborer and a respected preacher in the Morrisville AME church as well as a proud member of the Thomas Hamilton Post, No. 56 G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic Fraternal Organization). He attended the Morrisville Memorial Day Parade for 25 years, without missing one! (6) At the parade he always proudly displayed a dozen badges and medals, presented to him for deeds of valor (7) , that were emblematic of the “good old war times” as he used to put it.

William ultimately succumbed to a lengthy illness in 1899 at the age of 74 and was buried here in Slate Hill Cemetery.(3) We are currently uncertain as to where the remainder of William’s family is buried. If you have any additional information, please contact the LMT Historical Commission!

***There was a well known slave owner in Maryland named William Brogden in the early 1800s. Considering his birth place (according to the census, at least), and confirmation of his slavery, we can only guess that the William Brogden of Yardley was somehow connected to this man. Was he born as his property? Was the Sr. William Brogden his father? We do not have enough information to confirm these speculations, though they certainly go along with many of the painful stories of the time. We continue to research this thread, and will update this site as we learn more.

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