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Civil War Captain Thomas Branigan Letter Archive (26) [188778]

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:600.00 USD Estimated At:1,200.00 - 1,500.00 USD
Civil War Captain Thomas Branigan Letter Archive (26) [188778]
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The Captain Thomas Branigan collection consists of 26 pieces, including 20 handwritten letters dating from 1858 to 1886, both written by and addressed to Branigan. These letters, most of which are correspondence between Branigan and his mother, tell the story of his experience fighting in the Civil War, providing intimate glimpses into the hardships of life at war and the brutal realities of combat. He describes scenes such as the aftermath of a battle in Ohio where his regiment killed and buried over eight hundred Confederate soldiers: “a pretty sight it was, the dead and wounded lay thick on the ground”. His descriptions of the grueling nature of warfare (“we have drove the enemy and taken 70 of their calvary (sic) … we drove them 25 miles after staying in the entrenchments two days now”), his records of the movement of regiments, and his descriptions of the drafting of troops all provide a fascinating look into the functioning and daily life of the Union army.
Branigan’s later letters also provide a glimpse into life on the Western frontier; when he moved west after the war, he continued his correspondence with his mother, providing insight on the dangerous conditions of this area and the unpredictable nature of frontier life, saying of his comrades, “There are some fine young men out here as you will find anywhere and there are some that would cut a person’s throat for money.” He also embodies the conflict between Natives and settlers in this highly contested region: “I see Indians most every day, they pretend to be friendly but any of them would scalp a person if they would get a chance.”
BRANIGAN BACKGROUND
Captain Branigan’s story is uniquely fascinating, even among soldiers. In 1862, he would enlist to serve in the Union army at the shocking age of just 14, and would go on to fight in some of the Civil War’s notable battles: he served under General Burnside in the siege of Knoxville, fought in Sherman’s army during the Atlanta campaign, was at the front of the charge in the Battle of Resaca, and was the first member of Sherman’s army to cross the Chattahoochee River of Georgia. He was promoted to corporal before even turning 18. One biographical account of his life describes his unique courage and skill, claiming that “on the field of battle he displayed valor and loyalty equal to that of many a veteran of twice his years.”
After the war, Branigan would briefly attend college in Ohio before continuing west, where he would serve in various law enforcement roles, such as chief of police on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation and head detective on the Texas Pacific Railroad, for several years before rejoining the army to serve in the Apache War against the famous chief Geronimo. Following this campaign, he sought his discharge from the military and moved to Las Cruces, New Mexico, where he would find wealth in copper, gold, and silver mining as well as fruit farming. He would live in Las Cruces, where a public library still bears his name, until his death in 1925. - JRM
(All biographical information on Branigan comes from History of New Mexico, its Resources and People, Volume II, 1907. Pacific State Publishing Company.)
SUMMARY
The Captain Thomas Branigan collection consists of 25 items, organized within a binder. 20 of these items are handwritten letters sent to or from Branigan, including three letters written by Branigan on patriotic letter sheets. Also included is a printed poem in tribute to Union soldiers, two 1869 playbills from a theater in Salt Lake City, and two envelopes addressed to Branigan. The letters date from 1858 to 1886, and each is labelled with a note giving a brief explanation of its contents. They are sorted chronologically. [