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| A Union sharpshooter killed Lewis Branscomb of the Third Alabama in the front yard of this house on Washington Street in Harpers Ferry, W.Va. (Lewis' photo courtesy Frank Chappell) |
Shortly after war erupted, four sons of Bennett and Eliza Branscomb enlisted in the Third Alabama Infantry, causing great angst in their household in Union Springs, 45 miles southeast of Montgomery.
A little more than a year into the fighting, tragedy hit home when word arrived of the death from measles of 31-year-old William Branscomb in a military hospital in Richmond.
"Don't grieve Ma," Private James Branscomb wrote to his mother on June 25, 1862, 10 days after William's death. "He is better off though tis hard to lose him. You may have more to grieve for than him before this war ends."
Those words proved prophetic.
On May 19, 1864, James fell at the Battle of Harris Farm, near Spotsylvania Courthouse, Va. He was only 25.
During a break in brutal fighting near Richmond in early June 1864, probably at Cold Harbor, Va., Private Lewis Branscomb wrote a short note to his sister, Lucinda. Apparently unaware of his brother's death in battle, the Third Alabama sharpshooter poured out his feelings about a war that had claimed several of his friends and messmates.
"My mess is all gone but me," the 21-year-old soldier wrote on June 5, 1864. "... I know I have a few good christians far away praying for me. The fighting still continues. No more. Give my love to all and write soon. I have not received but one letter since the first of May. If you all knew how much comfort it would give me to get a letter from home you would write.
"Excuse this note," Lewis concluded, "as I have almost lost my mind."
Less than a month later, on July 4, 1864, a United States sharpshooter killed Lewis in the yard of a house on Washington Street in Harpers Ferry, Va., (now West Virginia). The owner of the house recovered Lewis' Bible, and nearly three months after the war had ended, she wrote a letter to his mother in Alabama:
Harpers Ferry, Va.,
July the 2nd, 1865
Mrs. Branscomb
Dear Madam
On the 4 of July will be one year since the Confederate soldiers was here and there was a young man killed in my yard by a sharpshooter. At the place he died I picked up a Bible and written on the fly leaf was his name 'L.S. Branscomb, Co. D, 3d regiment of Alabama.' On the next leaf was written.'If found on my person please send to my mother Mrs. B.H. Branscomb at Union Springs, Alabama. Do so and oblige (friend) who ever you be.' I should have done so sooner but not knowen that the way was open between here and there and as I have just heard that I could send a letter through embrace the first opportunity. If you wish for the book you can [write me]. I will send it by mail immediately and if you wish to know any thing more I will then write you all that I know concerning your son. If you wish to write address Mrs.
Margarett Cross,
Harpers Ferry, Virginia,
In care of Cathrin Shillings
Lewis' Bible has been lost to history, but nearly 100 of the Branscomb brothers' wartime letters remarkably survived. They surfaced in 1991 in an old BVD underwear box marked "War Letters" in the family's possession. In 2012, Branscomb descendant Frank Chappell edited the letters for publication in an excellent book, Dear Sister. The Third Alabama was one of the hard-fighting regiments in the Southern army, seeing action at Seven Pines, Malvern Hill, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg and elsewhere.
During a visit to Harpers Ferry, Chappell guided me over the phone from Alabama to Mrs. Cross' house on Washington Street. The two-story red-brick house stands a short distance from the Appalachian Trail Conervancy headquarters.
Postscript: A fourth Branscomb brother, John, survived a wound at Antietam and the war. William Branscomb was buried in the Confederate section of Oakwood Cemetery in Richmond. Despite efforts by Chappell and other Branscomb descendants, the gravesites of Lewis and James are unknown,
SOURCE
Those words proved prophetic.
On May 19, 1864, James fell at the Battle of Harris Farm, near Spotsylvania Courthouse, Va. He was only 25.
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| Private James Branscomb of the 3rd Alabama was killed at the Battle of Harris Farm on May 19, 1864. (Photo courtesy Frank Chappell) |
"My mess is all gone but me," the 21-year-old soldier wrote on June 5, 1864. "... I know I have a few good christians far away praying for me. The fighting still continues. No more. Give my love to all and write soon. I have not received but one letter since the first of May. If you all knew how much comfort it would give me to get a letter from home you would write.
"Excuse this note," Lewis concluded, "as I have almost lost my mind."
Less than a month later, on July 4, 1864, a United States sharpshooter killed Lewis in the yard of a house on Washington Street in Harpers Ferry, Va., (now West Virginia). The owner of the house recovered Lewis' Bible, and nearly three months after the war had ended, she wrote a letter to his mother in Alabama:
Harpers Ferry, Va.,
July the 2nd, 1865
Mrs. Branscomb
Dear Madam
On the 4 of July will be one year since the Confederate soldiers was here and there was a young man killed in my yard by a sharpshooter. At the place he died I picked up a Bible and written on the fly leaf was his name 'L.S. Branscomb, Co. D, 3d regiment of Alabama.' On the next leaf was written.'If found on my person please send to my mother Mrs. B.H. Branscomb at Union Springs, Alabama. Do so and oblige (friend) who ever you be.' I should have done so sooner but not knowen that the way was open between here and there and as I have just heard that I could send a letter through embrace the first opportunity. If you wish for the book you can [write me]. I will send it by mail immediately and if you wish to know any thing more I will then write you all that I know concerning your son. If you wish to write address Mrs.
Margarett Cross,
Harpers Ferry, Virginia,
In care of Cathrin Shillings
Lewis' Bible has been lost to history, but nearly 100 of the Branscomb brothers' wartime letters remarkably survived. They surfaced in 1991 in an old BVD underwear box marked "War Letters" in the family's possession. In 2012, Branscomb descendant Frank Chappell edited the letters for publication in an excellent book, Dear Sister. The Third Alabama was one of the hard-fighting regiments in the Southern army, seeing action at Seven Pines, Malvern Hill, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg and elsewhere.
During a visit to Harpers Ferry, Chappell guided me over the phone from Alabama to Mrs. Cross' house on Washington Street. The two-story red-brick house stands a short distance from the Appalachian Trail Conervancy headquarters.
Postscript: A fourth Branscomb brother, John, survived a wound at Antietam and the war. William Branscomb was buried in the Confederate section of Oakwood Cemetery in Richmond. Despite efforts by Chappell and other Branscomb descendants, the gravesites of Lewis and James are unknown,
SOURCE
- Chappell, Frank Anderson, Dear Sister: Civil War Letters to a Sister in Alabama, Branch Springs Publishing, Hunstville, Ala., 2012. (To obtain a copy of the book, Chappell may be contacted at fchap10220@comcast.net).
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| Margarett Cross' wartime house on Washington Street in Harpers Ferry, W.Va. |
Beautiful story, very sad.
ReplyDeleteJohn - do you have an address on Washington Street for this house? I have a group going out to Harpers Ferry from Wisconsin. This is exactly the type of information I want to share with them.
ReplyDelete700 block of Washington Street, across from Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Best, JB
DeleteHave you heard Laura Branscomb’s song Dear Sister sung by Claire Lynch. Powerful to hear and tear-jerking in person.
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed. Tremendous song.
DeleteThen there’s Claire Lynch’s ballad “Dear Sister” based on this story. Great song. Look it up and listen
ReplyDeletethat was very good an sad again. i know where that house is i hve been there s o many times. i love reading these letters. thanks so much
ReplyDeleteLewis Branscomb and his brother James were in the same company (D) of 3d Alabama, and were both in the Sharpshooter's Battalion for their Brigade––Battle's Brigade, at this time. Of course he would have known immediately of James' death. Battle's Brigade was pulled from Cold Harbor and temporarily attached to Gen. Early for his assigned strike on Washington. Another sharpshooter from Co D, Micajah Stinson, rushed across the street to aid Lewis, and he too was shot (in the ankle) and though he survived, his war was also over.
ReplyDelete