Daniel J. Brownell

Daniel Jackson Brownell was born 1832 in Georgia, a son of Anthony and Jane Brownell. He married Christian D. Morrison. They had six children before Daniel died while serving as Sheriff of Holmes County.

Early Holmes Sheriff Killed in Duel

By Anna P. Wells

Daniel Jackson Brownell (1832-1872) was sheriff of Holmes County when the county seat was located at Cerro Gordo, a now-defunct town on the Choctawhatchee River.

He was shot in a duel fought in 1872 in which both participants were killed. I learned about the tragedy some two years ago when I was inspired by our country's Bicentennial celebration to delve into Holmes County's past. I found many people that knew about the duel and knew that both men were killed, but no one could remember the name of Brownell's antagonist.

Several months ago, a relative remembered a rhyme about the duel and it gave the name of the other duelist: "Brownell killed Boutwell; Boutwell killed Brownell."

Until this day, however, I have not learned Boutwell's first name.

It's hard to reconstruct what happened more than a hundred years ago, but this is the story that was told to me:

Sheriff Brownell was at home with his family when a disturbance occurred at the county seat. Someone came to tell the sheriff about the situation, so he mounted his horse and left for Cerro Gordo, the duel followed, and both of the men were killed.

Soon afterward, the sheriff's wife heard the sound of a galloping horse's hoofs and remarked. "Children, I hear your father coming." But what she heard was the hoof-beats of a horse bearing a messenger with the news that their husband and father was dead.

Brownell's wife was Christian Morrison, daughter of Allen and Mary Douglass Morrison. The couple had six children, four boys and two girls. The sons were John, Edward, Porter and Angus. One of the girls was named Kate and she married a man named Boney Benton. I did not learn the name of the other daughter, as it seems that she died at an early age.

All of the slain sheriff's children settled in Holmes County and have played an interesting role in the county's history.

1870 Census

Brownell, Daniel J., 35y, M, W, Farmer & Sheriff, Georgia
Christian D., 35y, F, W, Keeping house, Florida
John M., 17y, M, W, Farm Laborer, Florida
Daniel P., 15y, M, W, Farm Laborer, Florida
Angus D., 13y, M, W, Farm Laborer, Florida
Edward, 11y, M, W, , Florida
Mary J., 9y, F, W, , Florida
Catherine, 7y, F, W, , Florida
Allen H., 3y, M, W, , Florida

John M. Brownell Family

John Morrison Brownell was born in 1853, a son of Daniel Jackson & Christian (Morrison) Brownell. He married France Isabelle Arrant, and the couple had 14 children. He died in 1940.

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