John Brown of Pittsfield

Who was John Brown of Pittsfield?

Colonel John Brown, often known as John Brown of Pittsfield because of his common name, was a Patriot, spy, soldier, and military leader, in the American Revolutionary War. He played a significant role as a courier between the Thirteen Colonies and Province of Quebec prior to the outbreak of the war, and then participated in military actions in Quebec and the frontiers of New York, where was killed in action on his 36ᵗʰ birthday.

According to historian Christopher Ward, "Brown was one of those remarkable characters that one finds hidden in the crannies of history, almost unknown even to historians."