From an early age I have possessed a strong interest in 19th century American history, especially the American Civil War. In recent years I have been able to "catch up" on long denied reading, even research into this very sad period of our nation's history. It is no surprise that the Bragg family has deep ties in this conflict.
Many members of the Bragg family bravely served on either side of the War Between the States. According to ancestry.com, there were 317 Union and 363 Confederate soldiers named Bragg. Many of these remain relatively unknown to most of us today. There were, however, some with direct relationship to our family occupying high positions in both the Union and Confederate armies. Most notably are perhaps the most despised Confederate General Braxton T. Bragg (third cousin four times removed; cf Did You Know #3) and the highly respected Union General Edward S. Bragg (connection with our family not clearly established as of this time).
Many members of the Bragg family bravely served on either side of the War Between the States. According to ancestry.com, there were 317 Union and 363 Confederate soldiers named Bragg. Many of these remain relatively unknown to most of us today. There were, however, some with direct relationship to our family occupying high positions in both the Union and Confederate armies. Most notably are perhaps the most despised Confederate General Braxton T. Bragg (third cousin four times removed; cf Did You Know #3) and the highly respected Union General Edward S. Bragg (connection with our family not clearly established as of this time).
Another related family member, Major Charles Venable, served as an aide to Confederate General Robert E. Lee. According to Wikipedia, Charles Venable was
"present at the firing on Fort Sumter in April 1861, serving as a lieutenant in the South Carolina state militia. He then fought as a private in Company A, 2nd South Carolina Infantry. In the spring of 1862, Venable joined the staff of presidential military advisory General Robert E. Lee as an aide-de-camp with the rank of major. He continued serving on Lee's staff when the general took command of the Army of Northern Virginia on June 1, 1862. He served on Lee's staff from the Peninsula Campaign to Appomattox Court House and was promoted to lieutenant colonel." Here is the connection. Our lineage is on the right, his is on the left:
Therefore, Charles Scott Venable and William Bragg (our Great-great-grandfather) were 3rd cousins.
On the Union side, at the end of the Civil War the two most famous Generals had to have been U. S. Grant and William T. Sherman. Both were from Illinois. But I want to look at one of these two men with a direct connection with our Bragg family. William Tecumseh Sherman was born "in Lancaster, Ohio. Orphaned at age nine and raised by a prominent Ohio politician, he graduated from West Point in 1840, saw service in Florida, and, during the Mexican War, in California; he stayed there and in 1853 resigned from the army to become a banker. When the bank failed in 1857, he became superintendent of the Louisiana Military Academy; he resigned when Louisiana seceded early 1861" (source). Sherman is perhaps most notable for the siege of Vicksburg, MS, the capture of Atlanta, GA followed by the famous "march to the sea." Edmund Sherman and Joan Makin were William Tecumseh Sherman 5th great-grandparents. They are also our 11th great-grandparents. Here is the family connection:
| Abraham B Venable & Martha Hannah Davis | |
| Nathaniel Venable b.1733 | Hugh Lewis Venable b.1727 |
| Samuel Woodson Venable b.1756 | Elizabeth Venable b.1764 |
| Nathaniel E. Venable b.1791 | Hugh Lewis Bragg b.1795 |
| Charles Scott Venable b.1827 | William Bragg b.1834 |
| Frank Martin Bragg b.1867 | |
| Orval Bishop Bragg b.1895 | |
| Don Cicero Bragg b.1920 | |
Therefore, Charles Scott Venable and William Bragg (our Great-great-grandfather) were 3rd cousins.
On the Union side, at the end of the Civil War the two most famous Generals had to have been U. S. Grant and William T. Sherman. Both were from Illinois. But I want to look at one of these two men with a direct connection with our Bragg family. William Tecumseh Sherman was born "in Lancaster, Ohio. Orphaned at age nine and raised by a prominent Ohio politician, he graduated from West Point in 1840, saw service in Florida, and, during the Mexican War, in California; he stayed there and in 1853 resigned from the army to become a banker. When the bank failed in 1857, he became superintendent of the Louisiana Military Academy; he resigned when Louisiana seceded early 1861" (source). Sherman is perhaps most notable for the siege of Vicksburg, MS, the capture of Atlanta, GA followed by the famous "march to the sea." Edmund Sherman and Joan Makin were William Tecumseh Sherman 5th great-grandparents. They are also our 11th great-grandparents. Here is the family connection:| Edmund Sherman and Joan Makin | |
| Samuel Sherman | Esther "Hester" Sherman b.1606 |
| John Sherman | Esther Ward b.1623 |
| John Sherman | Daniel Burr b.1660 |
| Daniel Sherman | Elizabeth Burr b.1696 |
| Taylor Sherman | Nathaniel Hull b.1726 |
| Charles Sherman | Ezekiel Hull b.1765 |
| William Tecumseh Sherman | Platt Hull b.1787 |
| Ezekiel Hull b.1813 | |
| Rebecca L. Hull b.1841 | |
| Frank Martin Bragg b.1867 | |
| Orval Bishop Bragg b.1895 | |
| Don Cicero Bragg b.1920 | |
