Monday, January 25, 2010

Captain Goldman Bryson and the First Tennessee National Guard

As Lee White and I were sitting at the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center Information Desk on Saturday, January 23, I was approached by an individual wishing to relate a story to me about how one of his ancestors caught a miniƩ ball in the shoulder during the battle and wanted more information on the unit his ancestor fought with during Chickamauga. Well, like so many visitors, he only had a name, a name Lee and I could not specifically pinpoint for the gentleman. I believe the surname was Brannon, but that is beside the point in this case.

According to Lieutenant C.H. Taylor, a skirmish took place deep in the hills of Cherokee County, North Carolina, on November 1, 1863. Taylor was the commanding officer of a group of nineteen men who were ordered by Confederate General John C. Vaughn to pursue Captain Goldman Bryson's company of "mounted robbers." Supposedly, Taylor's band tracked the "robbers" for two days, without stopping to eat. They finally came upon Bryson and his men, which scattered. Taylor ordered Bryson to stop, and when he refused, Taylor shot him. The wound did not deter Bryson from trying to get away from the Confederates, and he was shot several more times. Taylor's men did find orders from General Ambrose Burnside on Bryson's body and turned them over to his superiors. For further information concerning this skirmish, correspondence can be found in

1 comment:

ironsj said...

Really good article, just wondering, did all this come to you in a dream? It sure isn't based on facts. I think it's sad that people will attempt to label men who died over a hundred years ago trying to protect a way of life they believed in with all their hearts, this civil war. But I am sure you have checked all this out before you posted the article. Oh.. by the way. Goldman Bryson was killed at his home. He was called out by a person who I will not mention but he was killed in his front yard. I'm sure you don't know where this is, but I do. Actually I am the person who took the picture you have on your article. But like I said, these men were fighting and dieing for a cause they believed in, and I think you must be very intelligent to know they were "robbers" as you put it.