Ed Brannan in the Civil War

Ed Brannan married Bridget Murrin, daughter of James Murrin and Bridget McCloskey. His niece was our own grandmother, Adelaide McGonigle Ryan. Adelaide’s mother, Catherine Murrin, was Bridget Murrin’s sister. Ed Brannon, or Brennan as he sometimes was known, was born in County Donegal, Ireland circa 1828.

Ed Brannan became a naturalized US Citizen in 1868. Official records suggest he had been in Illinois for 3 years prior to enlistment and altogether lived in America for 14 years. At the time of his enlistment in 1862, Edward may have been living in Freeport, Illinois, which is west of Rockford. At least, Freeport is where he signed up for military service. The map below shows northern Illinois as it appeared in the 19th century.

Patriotic fervor swept the land, and Edward must have been feeling the call to serve his adopted country. Army recruiters swarmed each state looking to fill each state’s quota for military personnel. In 1862 Edward, or Ed as he was known to friends, enlisted as a private with Company I, 90th Illinois Infantry. This regiment was known as the “Irish Legion”.

His enlistment papers provide us with a glimpse of his characteristics. Ed lived in Freeport, Stephenson County, Illinois, and listed his age as 29. The original documents list his name as ‘Edward Brennan’, not ‘Edward Brannan’. These are his physical characteristics: (1) height is 5 feet 8 inches tall, (2) black hair, (3) black eyes, and (4) dark complexion. He was an unmarried farmer originally from Donegal, Ireland. J.J. O’Leary signed Ed up for a three year hitch at Freeport on August 16, 1862. Typical with most enlistments in 1862, Ed did not leave for duty immediately. He was not mustered in to duty until October 31, 1862, at Chicago, Illinois. The Civil War was a bloody and deadly affair. How fitting or odd that Ed would muster into duty on Halloween.

90th Illinois Infantry - “Irish” Legion

The two flags are regimental flags used by the 90th Illinois Infantry. Notice how these flags incorporate Irish symbols. They are green flags which incorporate the Celtic cross and Brian Boru’s harp. The following is the official history for this regiment:

The “Irish Legion” was recruited in the summer of 1862 at Camp Douglas in Chicago with most recruits either Irish or Irish-American. Unique in the history of this Regiment is the fact that the Ninetieth Illinois Infantry was largely recruited and organized by an Irish Catholic priest—Very Rev. Dunne who at the time was Catholic Vicar General of the Diocese of Chicago. Apparently his efforts were not only patriotic in nature but were influenced by his desire to disprove the charge that the Irish Catholic element was disloyal. Governor Yates offered Dunne a commission as Colonel of the regiment but the honor was declined as being inconsistent with Dunne’s holy office. The men of the Regiment were recruited as follows: Company A (Mulligan Guards) at Rockford in Winnebago County, Company B at Galena in Jo Daviess County, Company C (Lockport Guards) at Lockport in Will County, Company D at Joliet in Will County, Company E, F, G and H at Chicago in Cook County, Company I at Belvidere in Boone County and Freeport in Stephenson County and Company K at Ottawa in La Salle County.

The photograph above shows an Irish officer in the 90th Illinois Regiment. The flag above is the 90th’s battle flag.

The Regiment was mustered in on September 7, 1862 under the command of Colonel Timothy O’Meara and remained in Chicago on guard duty at Camp Douglas until November 27, 1862. Grant ordered the Ninetieth back to camp at La Grange, Tennessee. In early 1863 the Regiment was ordered west to Lafayette, Tennessee to guard the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. In June they were ordered to move via Memphis down the Mississippi River to Vicksburg, Mississippi; there they were engaged until the fall of Vicksburg on July 4. From July 4 until July 17 the Regiment took part in fighting around Jackson, Mississippi and then went into camp on the Big Black River until September 27. They were ordered up river by boat to Memphis and then marched along the route of the Memphis & Charleston Railroad toward Chattanooga. On October 11, 1863 at Germantown, Tennessee the Regiment boarded platform cars to hurry forward to Colliersville, Tennessee to relieve General Sherman who was surrounded by Confederate cavalry. On arrival they found that the enemy had retreated and the Regiment resumed their march toward Chattanooga. On November 24 the Ninetieth crossed the Tennessee River and the following morning were heavily engaged in the assault on Mission Ridge. In the fighting that day, Colonel O’Meara, and Lieutenant James Conway (Company A) were killed; total casualties for the Regiment were approximately one hundred men killed, wounded or missing.

Wood cut engraving of Siege at Mission Ridge, Tennessee

The following was taken from the book, "Colonel Timothy O'Meara - An Unknown Hero of the War", compiled by William J. O'Meara, published by A. Nephew, Brooklyn, NY

It was here that Colonel O'Meara fell, mortally wounded, a Minnie ball striking him a couple of inches below the heart. When some of his men came to aid him, and to carry him to the rear, he waved them off with the command: "Go, do your duty." While lying on the battlefield another bullet penetrated Colonel O'Meara's left foot. His soldiers retreated leaving him on the field and it was not until 2:00 a.m. the following day that a party was sent to retrieve his O'Meara's body. Much to their surprise, he was still alive and conscious. It was a very cold night, and the agony this gallant soldier endured must have been intense. He was carried to a log cabin, where he died about 6:30, after receiving the sacraments of the Catholic Church, of which he had always been a devout member. About an hour before his death a party of officers, including General Frank P. Blair, came to see him. He thanked the, and said, "It is hard to die so young."

The following day the Ninetieth joined in the pursuit of Bragg’s forces as far as Greysville, Georgia and then marched to relief of Burnside’s army under siege at Knoxville, Tennessee. However, Longstreet’s siege of Knoxville was lifted while the Ninetieth was en route therefore the Regiment was ordered to return to Chattanooga. In late December 1863 the Regiment was ordered to Scottsboro, Alabama and remained there until May 1864 when ordered to Resaca, Georgia to join Sherman’s Atlanta campaign. In that campaign the Ninetieth fought at Resaca, Dallas, New Hope Church, Allatoona Hills, Kenesaw Mountain, Nickajack Creek, Chattahoochee River, the Siege of Atlanta and Ezra Chapel. In the flanking movement south of Atlanta the Regiment fought at Jonesboro August 31-September 1 and at Lovejoy Station on September 2-6. Following the fall of Atlanta the Regiment joined in the pursuit of Hood into North Georgia and Alabama and skirmished with the enemy at Rome, Georgia and Gadsden, Alabama. Mid November the Ninetieth joined in Sherman’s “March to the Sea” and saw action in Georgia on the Ogeechee River on December 7, Bryant’s Court House on December 8 and Fort McAllister in Savannah December 10-21.

It was at Fort McAllister that Edward Brannan was wounded and removed from field of battle for the remainder of the war.

Edward Brannan’s muster record appears in the following book: “Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Illinois“, H. W. Rokker, Printer and Binder, Springfield, 1886, pages 311-13.

This record shows Edward Brennan (Brannan) was wounded in the Civil War and that he was absent during the official mustering out for his regiment.

Battle of Fort McAllister (1864)

Official history for the Battle of Fort McAllister is maintained by the National Park Service. The historical account below comes from the Park Service’s record.

The Second Battle of Fort McAllister took place December 13, 1864, during the final stages of Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman's March to the Sea during the American Civil War. Union forces overwhelmed a small Confederate force defending the strategically important Fort McAllister near Savannah, Georgia, a major Federal objective.

Battle

General Hazen's men of the Fifteenth Corps man a captured Confederate siege gun at Fort McAllister for the camera. Standing at attention above and facing the weapon is a U.S. Marine and beside him leaning on his saber is a cavalryman.

As Sherman's armies neared Savannah on December 10, following their lengthy march from Atlanta, his troops were in need of supplies. Just off the coast was Admiral John A. Dahlgren's fleet waiting with the needed supplies, as well as mail that had not been delivered to Sherman's men for six weeks during their march. However, Confederate fortifications around Savannah prevented Dahlgren from linking up with Sherman. As Sherman deployed his forces to invest Savannah, his cavalry reconnoitered Fort McAllister and other nearby fortifications, and determined that the lightly defended fort could be taken by a determined infantry attack. Sherman realized that if Fort McAllister was reduced, the Union Army would control the Ogeechee River, providing an avenue to the sea. Sherman ordered Maj. Gen. Oliver Otis Howard's Army of the Tennessee to reduce the fort. Howard chose the division commanded by Brig. Gen. William B. Hazen to lead the attack.

A view of the river face of the fort as it appeared in 1864. The Confederates here held back repeated attacks from the Union navy

On December 13, 1864, Hazen's 4,000-man division was deployed to storm the fort. Sherman and Howard climbed to an observation platform erected on top of an abandoned rice mill to observe the progress. In the surrounding woods Hazen formed his three brigades commanded respectively by Colonels Theodore Jones, Wells Jones and John M. Oliver. As the sun was setting, a Union Navy ship steamed into view from Ossabaw Sound. Sherman signaled that the fort was still in enemy hands but would be reduced in a minute. Just then Hazen emerged from the woods and advanced towards the fort. Confederate Major George Anderson commanded about 230 veteran troops in Fort McAllister. Hazen's troops charged through the abatis and buried torpedoes and within 15 minutes had reached the parapet and overwhelmed the defenders.

Sherman was overjoyed with the victory and rowed down the Ogeechee to view the fort. The next day he rowed out to Dahlgren's flagship to greet the admiral. Sherman also had reason to be proud of the troops that had taken part in the victory at Fort McAllister. These were the same troops he personally led as a division commander at Shiloh and a corps commander at Vicksburg.

With his supply line now open, Sherman could now prepare for the siege and capture of Savannah, a goal he would achieve by Christmas.

The fort had less than 200 men. Edward Brannan would have been part of the charge to overrun Fort McAllister. What bad luck to get wounded by so few men defending the fort. What are the odds?

Above is a picture of Fort McAllister as taken after the Unions won the skirmish. It should be noted that the 90th Illinois Infantry was the only Irish regiment assigned to Major General William Tecumseh Sherman’s XV Army Corps.

Below is a photograph which shows the 90th Illinois Infantry monument inside Vicksburg National Park. The 90th laid siege to Vicksburg, along with other Union regiments, for over a month. Vicksburg leaders finally surrendered on July 4, 1863, while the battle at Gettysburg was still raging.

Below shows the 90th Illinois Infantry monument as found at Missionary Ridge, Tennessee.

News from the war front was slow getting out to the public. Ed Brannan saw much action during his 3 years service. The following newspaper article describes the battle at Fort McAllister where Ed Brannan was wounded. Some accounts note Fort McAllister was defended by less than 200 men. The following article says Union forces captured 198 men, in addition to killing 14 men and wounding 21 others. So the actual numbers defending the fort are confusing. Union losses were 23 killed and 82 wounded.

Daily Illinois State Journal; Springfield, Illinois; December 30, 1864

Ed Brannan mustered out of service on June 6, 1865, while convalescing at a military hospital in Quincy, Illinois, from wounds suffered at Fort McAllister on December 13, 1864. Captain Nelson signed the mustering out orders.

The following record appears in the “Boone County Naturalization Declarations - 1866 - 1905”. Martin W. Johnson transcribed these records for those people who served in the US armed forces. Although the record says Ed lived in the US for 14 years it does not state the date it uses for its calculation. Is this 14 years from his enlistment date (August 16, 1862) or 14 years from the date of this naturalization record (August 24, 1868)?

The following index card shows dates filed for a military pension. The first pension request was dated June 19, 1867. The second request dated July 14, 1896, was made by his widow, Bridget Brannan. Edward Brannan died on January 10, 1896, and Bridget re-filed pension papers after Edward’s death.