William F. Brantley
Encyclopedia
William Felix Brantley (March 12, 1830 – November 2, 1870) was an American
lawyer and soldier. He served as a Confederate
general in the American Civil War
, mainly serving in the Western Theater
during the conflict. He is also noted for the manner of his death, murdered as part of a family feud
in 1870.
, but moved with his family to Mississippi
while still a child. He was a son of William Brantley, originally from Georgia
, and his wife Marina Jolly of Alabama
. By 1850 Brantley was studying law in Carroll County, Mississippi
. Two years later he began practicing as a lawyer in now non-existent city of Greensboro in Webster County, Mississippi
.
On December 27, 1855, Brantley married Cornelia S. Medley, and the couple would have three children together. They were: Mary Thomas, born September 5, 1858, in Macon
and died June 11, 1943, in St. Louis, Missouri
; Joseph Ransom, born September 5, 1859 in Choctaw County and died there on September 19, 1869; and an un-named infant born in 1861 and died on June 7 of that year. By 1860 Brantley was a lawyer in Choctaw County, Mississippi
, where he lived with his brother Dr. John Ransom Brantley. In 1861 he represented his county during the Mississippi state secession convention.
. On April 20 he entered his state's forces as a captain in the Mississippi Militia
. On May 21 Brantley joined the Confederate Army when his company (called the Wigfall Rifles) was added to the 15th Mississippi Infantry as Company D, of which he was elected its captain. In the spring of 1862 he was a captain in the 29th Mississippi Infantry, and fought at the Battle of Shiloh
on April 6, where he was wounded. That May Brantley was promoted to lieutenant colonel
, and on December 13 he was promoted to colonel
in command of the 29th Mississippi. He then fought during the Battle of Stones River
, in which he was wounded again, hit in a shoulder on December 31.
Brantley led his regiment (now part of the Army of Tennessee
) during the Battle of Chickamauga
from September 19–20, 1863, and then with distinction in the Chattanooga Campaign
that October and November. In his commander's report about the Battle of Lookout Mountain
, Brantley was praised for his conduct:
Also during 1863 Brantley's wife Cornelia died. He led the 29th Mississippi into the Atlanta Campaign
in the spring and summer of 1864. In the inconclusive Battle of Resaca
on May 13–15 he was again noted for his performance, "commended for gallantry, after leading a charge on the enemy that repulsed Federal assaults three times." During the Battle of Atlanta
on July 22, his brigade commander, Col. Samuel Benton
, was mortally wounded, hit in his chest and right foot by a shell. Brantley then took command of the brigade, and would lead it for the rest of the war. On July 26 Brantley was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. He then led his brigade during the Franklin-Nashville Campaign
in late 1864. At Battle of Franklin on November 30, Brantley's command consisted of the 24th, 27th, 29th, 30th, and the 34th Mississippi Infantry, plus a dismounted cavalry company.
In 1865 Brantley's command and the remnant of the Army of Tennessee participated in the Carolinas Campaign
, and he surrendered along with Gen. Joseph E. Johnston
in North Carolina on April 26. He was paroled on May 1 from Greensboro
and returned home to Mississippi.
Brantley died of a shotgun
blast at Winona
, located in Montgomery County, Mississippi
, in 1870. He was buried in a cemetery "behind the church at Old Greensboro, about three miles north of Tomnolen, Webster County, Mississippi."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer and soldier. He served as a Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
general in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, mainly serving in the Western Theater
Western Theater of the American Civil War
This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.-Theater of operations:...
during the conflict. He is also noted for the manner of his death, murdered as part of a family feud
Feud
A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight between parties—often groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one party perceives itself to have been attacked, insulted or wronged by another...
in 1870.
Early life and career
William Felix Brantley was born in 1830 in Greene County, AlabamaGreene County, Alabama
Greene County is the least populous county in the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene of Rhode Island. As of 2010 the population was 9,045...
, but moved with his family to Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
while still a child. He was a son of William Brantley, originally from Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, and his wife Marina Jolly of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. By 1850 Brantley was studying law in Carroll County, Mississippi
Carroll County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 10,769 people, 4,071 households, and 3,069 families residing in the county. The population density was 17 people per square mile . There were 4,888 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile...
. Two years later he began practicing as a lawyer in now non-existent city of Greensboro in Webster County, Mississippi
Webster County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 10,294 people, 3,905 households, and 2,877 families residing in the county. The population density was 24 people per square mile . There were 4,344 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile...
.
On December 27, 1855, Brantley married Cornelia S. Medley, and the couple would have three children together. They were: Mary Thomas, born September 5, 1858, in Macon
Macon, Mississippi
Macon is a city in Noxubee County, Mississippi, United States, along the Noxubee River. The population was 2,461 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Noxubee County.-History:...
and died June 11, 1943, in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
; Joseph Ransom, born September 5, 1859 in Choctaw County and died there on September 19, 1869; and an un-named infant born in 1861 and died on June 7 of that year. By 1860 Brantley was a lawyer in Choctaw County, Mississippi
Choctaw County, Mississippi
-National protected areas:* Natchez Trace Parkway * Tombigbee National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 9,758 people, 3,686 households, and 2,668 families residing in the county. The population density was 23 people per square mile . There were 4,249 housing units at an...
, where he lived with his brother Dr. John Ransom Brantley. In 1861 he represented his county during the Mississippi state secession convention.
Civil War service
When the American Civil War began in 1861, Brantley chose to follow his home state and the Confederate causeConfederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
. On April 20 he entered his state's forces as a captain in the Mississippi Militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
. On May 21 Brantley joined the Confederate Army when his company (called the Wigfall Rifles) was added to the 15th Mississippi Infantry as Company D, of which he was elected its captain. In the spring of 1862 he was a captain in the 29th Mississippi Infantry, and fought at the Battle of Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
on April 6, where he was wounded. That May Brantley was promoted to lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
, and on December 13 he was promoted to colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in command of the 29th Mississippi. He then fought during the Battle of Stones River
Battle of Stones River
The Battle of Stones River or Second Battle of Murfreesboro , was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War...
, in which he was wounded again, hit in a shoulder on December 31.
Brantley led his regiment (now part of the Army of Tennessee
Army of Tennessee
The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate army operating between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. It was formed in late 1862 and fought until the end of the war in 1865, participating in most of the significant battles in the Western Theater...
) during the Battle of Chickamauga
Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign...
from September 19–20, 1863, and then with distinction in the Chattanooga Campaign
Chattanooga Campaign
The Chattanooga Campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in October and November 1863, during the American Civil War. Following the defeat of Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans's Union Army of the Cumberland at the Battle of Chickamauga in September, the Confederate Army of Tennessee under Gen...
that October and November. In his commander's report about the Battle of Lookout Mountain
Battle of Lookout Mountain
The Battle of Lookout Mountain was fought November 24, 1863, as part of the Chattanooga Campaign of the American Civil War. Union forces under Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker assaulted Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga, Tennessee, and defeated Confederate forces commanded by Maj. Gen. Carter L. Stevenson....
, Brantley was praised for his conduct:
Atlanta Campaign
The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...
in the spring and summer of 1864. In the inconclusive Battle of Resaca
Battle of Resaca
The Battle of Resaca was part of the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. The battle was waged in both Gordon and Whitfield counties, Georgia, from May 13 - 15, 1864. It ended inconclusively with the Confederate Army retreating. The engagement was fought between the Military Division of the...
on May 13–15 he was again noted for his performance, "commended for gallantry, after leading a charge on the enemy that repulsed Federal assaults three times." During the Battle of Atlanta
Battle of Atlanta
The Battle of Atlanta was a battle of the Atlanta Campaign fought during the American Civil War on July 22, 1864, just southeast of Atlanta, Georgia. Continuing their summer campaign to seize the important rail and supply center of Atlanta, Union forces commanded by William T. Sherman overwhelmed...
on July 22, his brigade commander, Col. Samuel Benton
Samuel Benton
Samuel Benton was born on October 18, 1820 in Williamson County,Tennessee. At a young age him and his family settled in Holly County, Mississippi. Samuel Benton was Lawyer, State Legislator, Mississippi secession convention delegate but he is best known for his service in the Civil War.Civil War...
, was mortally wounded, hit in his chest and right foot by a shell. Brantley then took command of the brigade, and would lead it for the rest of the war. On July 26 Brantley was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. He then led his brigade during the Franklin-Nashville Campaign
Franklin-Nashville Campaign
The Franklin-Nashville Campaign, also known as Hood's Tennessee Campaign, was a series of battles in the Western Theater, conducted from September 18 to December 27, 1864, in Alabama, Tennessee, and northwestern Georgia during the American Civil War. The Confederate Army of Tennessee under Lt....
in late 1864. At Battle of Franklin on November 30, Brantley's command consisted of the 24th, 27th, 29th, 30th, and the 34th Mississippi Infantry, plus a dismounted cavalry company.
In 1865 Brantley's command and the remnant of the Army of Tennessee participated in the Carolinas Campaign
Carolinas Campaign
The Carolinas Campaign was the final campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. In January 1865, Union Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman advanced north from Savannah, Georgia, through the Carolinas, with the intention of linking up with Union forces in Virginia. The defeat of ...
, and he surrendered along with Gen. Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph Eggleston Johnston was a career U.S. Army officer, serving with distinction in the Mexican-American War and Seminole Wars, and was also one of the most senior general officers in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
in North Carolina on April 26. He was paroled on May 1 from Greensboro
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
and returned home to Mississippi.
Postbellum and death
After the war ended in 1865 Brantley resumed his law practice in Mississippi. He also married a woman named Julia, and an un-named son was born 1869, but the child died on November 10 that same year. Brantley was part of a family feud, and this led to his own death. An account of his involvement follows:Brantley died of a shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
blast at Winona
Winona, Mississippi
Winona is a city in Montgomery County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 5,482 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Montgomery County....
, located in Montgomery County, Mississippi
Montgomery County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 12,189 people, 4,690 households, and 3,367 families residing in the county. The population density was 30 people per square mile . There were 5,402 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
, in 1870. He was buried in a cemetery "behind the church at Old Greensboro, about three miles north of Tomnolen, Webster County, Mississippi."
See also
- List of American Civil War generals
Further reading
- Wynne, Ben, A Hard Trip: A History of the 15th Mississippi Infantry, CSA, Mercer University Press, 2003, ISBN 0-8655-4806-4.