Oscar Broady (May 28, 1832 – March 13, 1922) was a petty officer in the Swedish navy who emigrated to the United States. During the Civil War he rose to the command of a brigade in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

. After returning to Sweden as a Baptist missionary, he became the first president of the Swedish Baptist Bethel Seminary.

Early life

Broady was born in Uppsala, the son of a niterworker, went to school in Stockholm, and began clerking in a store at the age of 13. At age 16 he enlisted in the Swedish navy, becoming a petty officer in 1852, and married the same year. Two years later he and his wife decided to emigrate to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, but his wife died at sea. In

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Broady became a convinced

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

, and enrolled at Madison University in New York State, today's

Colgate University Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York. The college was founded in 1819 as the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York and operated under that name until 1823, when it was renamed Hamilton Theologi ...

, where he pursued his studies at the same time as preaching to a local

congregation. Broady graduated with a

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

in 1861, and entered into his second marriage shortly thereafter.

Civil War

When the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

began, the students at Madison University raised a volunteer company, and offered it to United States service. In September 1861 the company became Company C,

61st New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 61st New York Infantry Regiment, also known as the "Astor Regiment", was an infantry regiment of the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The regiment was organized in New York City on October 25, 1861, and was mustered in for a t ...

, and Broady became its captain. A year later Broady was promoted to lieutenant colonel, and in the spring of 1863 he became, as lieutenant colonel, commanding officer of the regiment. In the summer of 1864 Broady became, still a lieutenant colonel, a brigade commander in the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confedera ...

. A month later he was

wounded in action Wounded in Action (WIA) describes combatants who have been wounded while fighting in a combat zone during wartime, but have not been killed. Typically, it implies that they are temporarily or permanently incapable of bearing arms or continuing ...

at the

Second Battle of Ream's Station The Second Battle of Ream's Station (also Reams or Reams's) was fought during the siege of Petersburg in the American Civil War on August 25, 1864, in Dinwiddie County, Virginia. A Union force under Maj. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock began destroying ...

, and had to leave his command. He was subsequently mustered out of United States, outside of

Petersburg, Virginia Petersburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 33,458. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines Petersburg (along with the city of Colonial Heights) with Din ...

. In 1865 Broady was

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

ted colonel, United States Volunteers.

Baptist pioneer

In 1866 Broady returned to Sweden, under his American name, as a

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

in the service of the

American Baptist Foreign Mission Society International Ministries is an international Baptist Christian missionary society. It is a constituent board affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA. The headquarters is in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, United States. History The soc ...

of Boston. In Sweden he became the first president of the Swedish Baptist Bethel Seminary, a predecessor of the Stockholm School of Theology, a position he held until 1906. Broady held a number of positions of trust in the Swedish Baptist movement, and was an avid

temperance Temperance may refer to: Moderation *Temperance movement, movement to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed *Temperance (virtue), habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion Culture *Temperance (group), Canadian danc ...

advocate. In 1877 Madison University honored him with the degree of

Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity. In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ran ...

, and in 1916 the degree of

Legum Doctor Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the early ...

was conferred of him by its successor, the

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Broady, Oscar People from Uppsala Swedish emigrants to the United States United States Army officers 19th-century Baptist ministers from the United States Baptist missionaries from the United States Rectors of universities and colleges in Sweden Union Army officers People of Sweden in the American Civil War Baptist missionaries in Europe Protestant missionaries in Sweden Swedish Baptist missionaries 1832 births 1922 deaths Swedish Navy personnel Burials at Norra begravningsplatsen 20th-century Baptist ministers Swedish temperance activists

Early life

Civil War

Baptist pioneer

See also

References