Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1909-04-29
TALES or THE REVOLUTION REToLD
~ ANNIE a. BoGGs.
CEN. THOMAS BRANDON.

BY ANNIE a. BoGGs.
CEN. THOMAS BRANDON.
Thomas Brandon was of Irish
descent. He was born in Penn
sylyania in l74i and emigrated
to Union county. S. c., about
1854. He married a Miss McCool
and settled on Browns Greek
three miles east of Union Cour;
House.
pr. Howe says: Gen Bran
don was an adherent to the Pres
byterian church at Browns Greek
il not n commitment, but his
principal distinction arose from
his services in the war Of the
Revolution. lie commenced SER
vice as a Captain in the Spartan
regiment. Upon the division of
this regiment he was appointed
Colonel of the second Spartan
regiment. He retained command
of this till the close Of the war F"
He served under Sumpter and
Williams as Colonel and fought
in the battles Of Ninety-six Eu-
taw, Cowpens. Musgroves, Black
stocks, Kings Mountain and
Stations.
His services. under the circum-
stances II the country, were
highly important to the cause.
His regiment was probably never
very well disciplined but he knew
very well the game that suited
himself and his command; and
it is probable that they did AZ
much hard fighting and swift
running as any Of their contem-
%poraries.
Col. Brandon was over six feet
in height, very active and oil
great muscular strength. When
the Revolutionary War COM
menccd, he had a broad sword
fashioned out Of saw mill blade,
with which he could cleft the
head Of a bullock, and, from all
accounts, he seemed TO think h,
was doing Gods service when h,
could cleft the head of a tory.
Judge O'Neal in his ANIMAL:
of Newberry," says: ''Captair
Philemon Waters captured a tory
who was peculiarly obnoxious tC
Col. Brandon. After the Skin.
mish, when the prisoners were
presented to Col. Brandon, he
seeing Waters prisoner, drew hi;
sword and was in the act Of run.
ming upon him to slay HIM, wher
Waters threw himself between
them and announced his inten.
ton II protecting the prisoner
The purpose OF vengeance wa.
not abandoned and Col. Brandon
ordered his servant, Africa, &c
bring him bis rifle, Africa obeyed
Walters, with his rifle in hand.
looked straight in Col. Brandon's
eye, and said to his superior,
now shoot the prisoner, the in
slant you do | will shoot you
dead Col. Brandon did no.
IRE and the prisoner was saved"
After the close Of the war, the
home Of the tory, Fietchall. was
coniiscated and sold; Gen. Bran
don became the purchaser, and
spent the remainder Of his life al
this place, at Fair Forest Shoals.
He was one of the Justices oil
the Court; County Ordinary /;
General Of the Militia and men,
Der OF the Legislature. He died
on the 9Th Of February, 1902 and
was buried with military honors
two miles northeast of Uuion
&C.. IL. Africa, his faithful SER
want, who accompanied him
through all the h~srdships, trials
and privations of the war, was
during the funeral procession,
mounted on horseback. dressed
in the Generals military uniform,
and accompanied his remains to
its final resting place amid the
beating of drums and firing oil
guns.
Gen. Brandon had three sons
and two daughters. His sons
were, William, James and Thomas
Jr. William died single in Union
). c., James emigrated to Flori-
da, and Thomas Jr., married Cas-
sandra HUMPHREYS, a sister OF
Amos HUMPHREYS of Winston
county, Miss, and died in Green
county, Ala. He had in his pos
session the broad sword which
bis father welded during the
Revolutionary War.