▁same ▁disease . ▁ ▁One ▁morning , ▁while ▁he ▁was ▁wand ering ▁along ▁the ▁banks ▁of ▁the ▁Del aware ▁River , ▁he ▁met ▁the ▁captain ▁of ▁a ▁ship ▁then ▁mo ored ▁in ▁port . ▁The ▁captain ▁in quired ▁if ▁he ▁wanted ▁employ ment ▁and ▁Brown ▁agreed . ▁The ▁captain ▁then ▁and ▁there ▁engaged ▁him ▁as ▁a ▁cabin ▁boy , ▁thereby ▁setting ▁him ▁on ▁the ▁naval ▁promotion ▁lad der , ▁where ▁he ▁worked ▁his ▁way ▁to ▁the ▁captain cy ▁of ▁a ▁merchant ▁vessel . ▁ ▁Compar atively ▁little ▁is ▁known ▁of ▁Brown ' s ▁early ▁life , ▁and ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁suggested ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁il leg it imate ▁and ▁took ▁his ▁mother ' s ▁surname ▁and ▁that ▁his ▁father ' s ▁surname ▁was ▁actually ▁G annon . ▁ ▁Napole onic ▁Wars ▁ ▁After ▁ten ▁years ▁on ▁the ▁Atlantic , ▁where ▁he ▁developed ▁his ▁skills ▁as ▁a ▁se aman ▁and ▁reached ▁the ▁level ▁of ▁captain , ▁he ▁was ▁press - g anged ▁into ▁a ▁British ▁ship . ▁British ▁impress ment ▁of ▁American ▁sail ors ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁primary ▁issues ▁leading ▁to ▁the ▁War ▁of ▁ 1 8 1 2 . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Napole onic ▁Wars , ▁Brown ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁escaped ▁the ▁gal ley ▁and ▁sc utt led ▁the ▁vessel . ▁However , ▁the ▁French ▁did ▁not ▁believe ▁he ▁had ▁assist ed ▁them ▁and ▁imprison ed ▁him ▁in ▁Lor ient . ▁On ▁being ▁transferred ▁to ▁Met z , ▁he ▁escaped , ▁dis gu ised ▁in ▁a ▁French ▁officer ' s ▁uniform