A native of
Lyons,
New York, Brownson graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1865. He served in the
North Atlantic Squadron until 1868, when he was assigned to the
Pacific Squadron. In 1870, during his tour of duty on the steam
sloop-of-war , Brownson and a detachment of men fought the
Battle of Boca Teacapan against the pirate ship
Forward in
Mexican waters. During the fighting,
United States Marines and U.S. Navy sailors captured the enemy ship and defeated a superior force of pirates positioned at a
shore battery. In 1872, Brownson reported for duty at the Naval Academy's Department of
Mathematics. Three years later, he was sent as a young
lieutenant to the
Asiatic Station. Brownson returned to the Naval Academy in 1878 as Assistant Commandant of Cadets. In 1881, he was ordered to the
United States Coast and Geodetic Survey as a
lieutenant commander, where he commanded the
survey ship USC&GS George S. Blake until 1884. After brief duty as
executive officer of the steam
frigate , he was named Inspector of
Hydrography for the Coast Survey. After a return to the Naval Academy as Commandant of Cadets, Brownson served for two years on the
Board of Inspection and Survey. He commanded the
auxiliary cruiser during the
Spanish–American War of 1898, seeing action in the
Battle of Guantánamo Bay. In 1899 Brownson achieved the rank of
captain and command of the
battleship , and from 1902 to 1905 was Superintendent of the Naval Academy. Brownson was promoted to
rear admiral in 1905, when he hoisted his flag on board the
armored cruiser as Commander, 4th Division,
North Atlantic Fleet. He served as Commander, Special Service Squadron in
Central American waters and was Commander-in-Chief of the
United States Asiatic Fleet from 15 October 1906 to 31 March 1907. In 1907, Brownson was assigned as Chief of the
Bureau of Navigation, which handled the U.S. Navys
personnel matters. In July 1907, he was transferred to the retired list, but continued to serve in his post at the Bureau of Navigation until December 1907. That month, President
Theodore Roosevelt decided to give command of
hospital ships to U.S. Navy doctors, against the advice of Brownson, who then resigned from the Navy. A storm of protest arose from within the Navy and from the public, but Brownsons active naval career was over. Brownson married Isabella Robinson Roberts in July 1872. Their first child, Henry was born in 1874 and died in 1876 shortly after his father left for the
Asiatic Station. The following spring his daughter Harriet was born. In 1878 another son, Roswell, was born and in 1894 a second daughter, Caroline Robinson, was born. Caroline Brownson married
Thomas C. Hart, later an admiral and the last Commander-in-Chief of the Asiatic Fleet. Harriet married Admiral Charles Lincoln Hussey, who as an ensign received the
Navy Cross during the
Spanish–American War. Brownson died at
Washington, D.C., on 16 March 1935. ==Namesakes==