Charles Elwood Brown was born on July 4, 1834, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He attended the local common schools and then Greenfield Academy. He attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and graduated from there in 1854. Upon graduation, Brown moved south to Baton Rouge, LA, where he studied law and worked as a tutor. In 1859, Brown gained admission to the bar and moved back to Ohio to begin his law practice in Chillicothe. He also worked as the prosecuting attorney for Ross County in 1859 and 1860.

When the Civil War broke out, Brown enlisted as a private in the 63rd Regiment of the Ohio Volunteers, and received a commission as captain in October of 1861. While fighting in Georgia, Brown was wounded in the Battle of Atlanta in 1864, and had to have his leg amputated. Brown was promoted through the ranks to colonel on June 6, 1865, and brevetted brigadier general that same year for "gallant and meritorious conduct" in the Atlanta campaign. He mustered out July 8, 1865, and went back to practicing law in Chillicothe, Ohio.

From 1866 to 1872, Brown served as the postmaster of Chillicothe. In 1872, he was commissioned the pension agent of Cincinnati and held that position through 1876. Brown later continued his public career by running for Congress on the Republican ticket in the 1884 elections. He won the seat as Representative of Ohio's second district, and won the seat a second time in the following election. Brown lost the nomination in 1888 and returned to his law practice.

Brown briefly returned to politics to become a member of the Ohio State Senate in 1900 and 1901. Brown died at College Hill in Hamilton County on May 22, 1904. He was buried in Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati.

Sources:
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
Political Graveyard
Find a Grave Memorial-Spring Grove Cemetery
Picture taken from: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=5949330

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