A Guide to the Brady (Thomas Charles) Family Paper, 1823-1909

Biographical Note

Thomas Charles Brady was born in South Carolina in 1843. He married Jane Barnett and fathered one son, Charles J. Brady. The family resided in Spartanburg, South Carolina until the Civil War began in 1861.

Brady enlisted as a private in A Company, Holcombe Legion, South Carolina Volunteers in November 1861. He rose rapidly through the ranks and was commissioned a second lieutenant in April 1861. He was promoted to captain and commanded the company during the Maryland Campaign of 1862. The Holcombe legion was transferred to South Carolina in 1863 where Brady participated in the defense of Charleston. After returning from a furlough, in October 1863, Brady was court-martialed for conduct unbecoming an officer and was dismissed from the service on November 9, 1863. Brady returned to the army as a private in early 1865 and served during the siege of Petersburg, Virginia. He was recommissioned as lieutenant in March 1865. He was cited for bravery during the assault of Fort Steadman. He was wounded March 29, 1865 and died of complications on April 13, 1865.

Jane A. Barnett Brady was born August 21, 1832. She was the daughter of Josial Barnett, a prominent landowner in Spartanburg, South Carolina. She was educated as a teacher and lived in Spartanburg until 1882 when she followed her son’s family to Georgetown, Texas where she lived until her death.

Scope and Contents

The Thomas Charles Brady family papers consist primarily of correspondence, bulking with letters from Thomas Brady to his wife, Jane A. Barnett Brady, during his service with the Confederate Army during the Civil War. These letters reflect not only Brady’s experiences during battles, but also the daily life in the army and the concerns of the solder for his family.

Charles J. Brady, Thomas C. Brady’s son, moved to Texas in 1881 with his wife Fannie, and infant son, William. During 1881 the couple wrote almost daily letters imploring Jane Brady to join them in Georgetown, Texas. These letters give a vivid view of life in central Texas in the 1880’s. The remainder of the correspondence consists of letters from family and friends to Jane A. Brady in the years after Thomas Brady’s death.

The Brady family financial records consist of state tax receipts, rent receipts, personal loans and miscellaneous transactions. The legal materials primarily document transactions of the Barnett family, and include a bill of sale for a female slave. Also included is Jane Barnett Brady’s teaching certificate. The military records document Thomas C. Brady’s Confederate service and the financial records of A Company, Holcombe Legion, South Carolina Volunteers.

The remainder of the Brady papers consists of a genealogy from a family Bible, printed material, including a brochure about patent medicine, envelopes and lists. Photocopies of potions of the collection are included.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research use.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Brady (Thomas Charles) Family Papers, 1823-1909, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by archives staff, 1983, 1997.

Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center’s "History Revealed: Bringing Collections to Light" project, 2009-2011.

Arrangement