John Milton Brannan John Milton Brannan ( July 1 , 1819 – December 16 , 1892 ) was a career American Army officer who served in the Mexican - American War and as a Union general in the American Civil War , in command of the Department of Key West in Florida and assigned to Fort Zachary Taylor . His first wife was the daughter of Colonel Ichabod Crane ; she mysteriously disappeared after taking a ferry from Staten Island to lower Manhattan and was presumed to have been murdered . Early life and Mexico . Brannan was born in Washington , D . C . , and was a messenger in the United States House of Representatives when he received his appointment to the United States Military Academy from Ratliff Boon , the U . S . Representative from Indiana in 1837 . His appointment was supported by 114 other Congressmen . He finished West Point in 1841 , ranking 23rd of 52 cadets , and was assigned to the 1st U . S . Artillery Regiment . After graduation , Brannan served at Plattsburgh , New York during the border dispute with Canada . During the Mexican - American War , Brannan was in the battles of Vera Cruz , Cerro Gordo , La Hoya , Contreras and Churubusco . He was brevetted to captain for gallantry for Contreras and Churubusco . He was severely wounded during the battle for Mexico City . After the war with Mexico , Brannan fought against the Seminoles . Brannan then remained in the Southeast at various posts until the beginning of the Civil War . Civil War service . At the outbreak of the Civil War , Brannan was appointed a brigadier general of volunteers and placed in command of the Department of Key West . In October 1862 , he fought in the Battle of Saint John ' s Bluff where he led infantry troops in the expedition on the St . Johns River against Confederate positions for control of Jacksonville , Florida . Also in the same month , Brannan was placed in command of the Department of the South after Ormsby Mitchel ' s death . He was brevetted a lieutenant colonel for his service during the battle for Jacksonville , Florida . He served as department commander until January 1863 . In 1863 he led an infantry division under Major General William Rosecrans in the Tullahoma Campaign where he fought at Hoover ' s Gap . Brannan then fought under Maj . Gen . George Henry Thomas during the Chickamauga Campaign in XIV Corps . At Chickamauga , Brannan lost 38 per cent of his command . Nevertheless , Brannan was awarded a brevet appointment to colonel for meritorious service . When Rosecrans was relieved by Ulysses S . Grant , Brannan was reassigned from infantry back to artillery . He was promoted to the rank of major in the regular army in August 1863 . From October 1863 until June 1865 , Brannan was chief of artillery of the Department of the Cumberland , where he oversaw the defenses at Chattanooga . He was in the Battle of Missionary Ridge and in the Atlanta Campaign where he participated in the Battle of Resaca , Battle of Dallas , and the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain . He was also at the siege and surrender of Atlanta . He was appointed a brevet major general in both the regular army and in the volunteer forces . Postbellum career and death . After the Civil War , Brannan mustered out of the volunteer forces and reverted to the regular army rank of major with the 1st U . S . Artillery Regiment . He was assigned to artillery duties at Fort Trumbull , Connecticut , Fort Wadsworth , New York , and Ogdensburg , New York . While at Ogdensburg , he helped prevent the Fenian raids into Canada . In 1877 , Brannan was in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , where he helped put down the railroad riots . Brannan transferred to the 4th U . S . Artillery Regiment in 1877 . He retired from the army with the rank of colonel on April 19 , 1882 . He the moved to New York City . Brannan died in New York and was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery . He was reinterred at the West Point Cemetery . Battery Brannan at Fort Worden , Washington was named in his honor .