Person Page - 209

     Lovena was born circa 1804 at Georgia, United States. She was the daughter of William Sullivan and Mary Elizabeth (--?--). She married William Brantley Mosley, on 13 April 1821 at Montgomery, Georgia, United States.¹

     William was born circa 1800. He married Lovena Sullivan, daughter of William Sullivan and Mary Elizabeth (--?--), on 13 April 1821 at Montgomery, Georgia, United States.¹

     Robert was born circa 1819 at Georgia, United States.² He was the son of Thomas Brannen and Nancy Donaldson. He married Mary Boatright, daughter of Chesley John Daniel Boatright and Rachel Geiger, circa 1842 at Florida, United States. Robert died on 28 November 1864 at Elmira, Chemung, New York, United States. His body was buried at Elmira Prison Cemetery, Elmira, New York, United States.
     Robert's occupation: Farmer.
Biography of Robert H. Brannan:
We believe that Robert H. Brannen is the son of Thomas Brannen and Nancy Donaldson. We have not found any direct evidence that would confirm that relationship. However, we have found a preponderance of evidence that strongly supports this relationship and no evidence that disproves it. Evidence that shows Robert H. Brannen to be the son of Thomas Brannen is as follows:

     1. Robert H. Brannan is likely named after his maternal grandfather, Robert Donaldson. It was a very common practice to name the first male child after his maternal grandfather.


     2. Robert H. Brannan appears with Thomas Brannan in Hills and Turners Company of Volunteers in the Florida Indian Wars 1836-1840.

     3. Robert H. Brannan appears with William Brannan in Hills and Turners Company of Volunteers in the Florida Indian Wars. Sarah A. Brannen, the widow of William D. Brannen, applied for and received a pension in 1902 for William D. Brannen's Indian War service claiming he served in Capt. Hills, Capt. Turners and Capt. Langford's Co. of the Florida Volunteers. William D. Brannan, is the proven son of Thomas Brannan and Nancy Donaldson. His middle name is Donaldson. This clearly shows that William and Thomas Brannan of the Florida Indian Wars are son and father. Since Robert H. Brannan is a year or two older (Robert was born circa 1819 and William 1821 or 1822) than William it stands to reason that Robert being an older son would also have served in the Volunteer militia along with his father and younger brother.

     4. Robert H. Brannan appears with Thomas Brannan and William Brannan in the 1847 tax digest of Madison County Florida. He is absent in the 1842 Voters records for Florida statehood, as are the names of William and Thomas Brannen. This suggests a relationship between Robert and Thomas.

     5. Robert H. married Mary Boatright about 1842 based on the birthdates of their children. They very likely married in Madison Co. Florida as that is where she and her parents were living at the time. We also know that Thomas Brannen moved into Madison Co. Florida from Lowndes Co. Georgia about 1842 or 1843, this is about the time Robert married Mary Boatright so we have Robert and Thomas near each other thus again suggesting a relationship.

     6. There is an unidentified older male born between 1815 and 1820 in the family of Thomas Brannen in the 1820, 1830 and 1840 Census records. Robert, born circa 1819, fits the age description of each of those three census records.

     7. Robert names his children Frank, Martha, Owen, Rebecca and Ann which are Brannen and Donaldson family names. Unfortunately, we do not find a Thomas in Robert's family.

     8. In 1971, John P. Tompkins (1907-1983) told us that he thought that George Brannan was the name of his grandmothers, Anna Mercy Brannan Parker's, father. It turned out that Robert H. Brannan is the father of Anna Brannan Parker (1858-1926) of Suwannee County, Florida and not George Brannen. However, John Tompkins thinking that George Brannan was his great grandfather suggests to us that a George Brannan was a very close relative of his grandmother, Anna. In addition, John Tompkins would often threaten his children (during the 1930 and 1940's) if they misbehaved by getting "George Brannan's big gun". The George Brannen of the big gun could only be George Brannen (1876-1928) of Taylor Co. Florida who is the grandson of Thomas Brannen. George Brannen of Taylor Co. was indicted for a shooting murder in 1899 in Taylor County. He was tried in Madison County in October,1901. A verdict could not be reached after two trials and the case was finally discharged by the court without a trial decision. George Brannen was thus well known in the area at the turn of the century as someone who may have used a gun to kill. It is our contention that Robert H. Brannan is the son of Thomas Brannen which makes Anna Brannan Parker a first cousin of George Brannan (1876-1928). It is reasonable to think that Anna Brannan Parker would know her first cousin that lived all their lives within 15 miles of each other. Why else would this "Big Gun" reputation of George Brannan be passed down through the Anna Brannan Parker family. We are not sure if John P. Tompkins ever met George Brannan but he would certainly have heard stories about him from his grandmother while he was growing up. We don't think he would have heard those stories if George was not related to his grandmother.

     The earliest record we have is of a Robert H. Brannan enlisting as a private in Turner's Company, 12 Reg't, 1st Brigade of the Florida Mounted Volunteers in the Florida Indian Wars. Robert H. enrolled Sept. 1, 1838 at Tallahassee and mustered out on 17 November 1838 at Camp Taylor. Robert Brannan enlisted in Capt. Hills Company, 2nd Regiment, Florida Mounted Volunteers as a private on June 16, 1837 at San Pedro for 6 months and was on the muster out rolls for this Company at Ft. Gilliland, Florida on 18 December 1837. [National Archives, Microfilm M-629, Index to Service Records Indian Wars 1815-1858] His father, Thomas and his brother William also enlisted at the same time and place in these same companies.

      Robert and his family appear in Columbia County, Florida in the 1850 Census and again in Suwannee County, Florida in the 1860 Census. Likely this is the same place as Suwannee County was formed out of Columbia in 1856. There is also a Martha Leach age 32, born Georgia living with the Brannan family in 1850. This is very likely a sister of Robert.

      Robert H. Brannan is also listed as voter no. 11 in the Poll Book of the Mineral Springs Precinct, No. 4 in Columbia Co., Florida on 2 November 1852.

     Robert, at age 54. enlisted as a private in Company E, (later transferred to Co. H) of the 9th Florida Infantry, Confederate States Army on 4 September 1863 at Lake City, Florida. Nine months later he was killed during the battle of Cold Harbor near Cold Harbor, Virginia on 3 June 1864. [Widow's Pension Application, #18725, of Mary Curl Brannan, widow of W. F. Brannan, Florida State Archive - Tallahassee, Florida]

     There is a record of an R. H. Brannan of Co. H. of the 6th Florida Infantry who died 28 November 1864 as a prisoner of war at Elmira, NY Military Prison. He is buried in the Elmira Prison Cemetery. Since the 6th Florida Infantry was later merged into the 9th Florida Infantry, as reported by Mary C. Brannan in her widow's application of W. F. Brannan, we suspect that this R. H. Brannan is in fact our Robert H. Brannan. Our rationale for this is that he was captured at the battle of Cold Harbor rather than killed and the confederate records are in error. We believe he was captured and transferred to the Federal Military Prison in Elmira, N.Y. where he died and is buried. That is the basis for his date of death and place of burial.

     Mary was born circa 1822 at Georgia, United States.² She was the daughter of Chesley John Daniel Boatright and Rachel Geiger. She married Robert H. Brannan, son of Thomas Brannen and Nancy Donaldson, circa 1842 at Florida, United States.
     Biography of Mary Boatright:
Mary appears with her family in the 1850 Census of Columbia County, Florida and in the 1860 Census of Suwannee County, Florida. The 1860 Census in Suwannee County, Florida is the last record we have found for her. Presumably she died in Suwannee County where most of her children remained until their death.

     Mary was born circa 1843 at Florida, United States.¹ She was the daughter of Robert H. Brannan and Mary Boatright. She married Albert Bonds, on 3 March 1865 at Suwannee, Florida, United States.²

     William was born on 21 August 1845 at Madison, Florida, United States.¹ He was the son of Robert H. Brannan and Mary Boatright. He married Mary Ann Curl, daughter of Jessie Curl and Rebecca (--?--), on 4 October 1865 at Suwannee, Florida, United States.² William died on 23 May 1904 at Suwannee, Florida, United States, at age 58. His body was buried in May 1904 at Macedonia Cemetery, Suwannee, Florida, United States.³

     Rachel was born circa 1848 at Columbia, Florida, United States.¹ She was the daughter of Robert H. Brannan and Mary Boatright. She married Elijah Curle, son of Jessie Curl and Rebecca (--?--), on 26 April 1864 at Suwannee, Florida, United States.²

     Martha was born on 9 December 1849 at Columbia, Florida, United States.¹ She was the daughter of Robert H. Brannan and Mary Boatright. She married Jesse Taylor Hurst, son of William B. Hurst and Rebbecca Wells, on 10 June 1870 at Live Oak, Suwannee, Florida, United States.² Martha died on 1 December 1917 at Suwannee, Florida, United States, at age 67.³ Her body was buried on 2 December 1917 at Macedonia Cemetery, Suwannee, Florida, United States.

     Owen was born circa 1854 at Columbia, Florida, United States.¹ He was the son of Robert H. Brannan and Mary Boatright.

     Harriet was born circa 1856 at Suwannee, Florida, United States.¹ She was the daughter of Robert H. Brannan and Mary Boatright. She married Robert A. Reid, on 5 June 1872 at Suwannee, Florida, United States.²

     Rebecca was born circa 1858 at Suwannee, Florida, United States.¹ She was the daughter of Robert H. Brannan and Mary Boatright.

     Elijah was born circa 1846. He was the son of Jessie Curl and Rebecca (--?--). He married Rachel A. E. Brannan, daughter of Robert H. Brannan and Mary Boatright, on 26 April 1864 at Suwannee, Florida, United States.¹

     He married Willie Frances Hardie, daughter of Samuel Uriah Hardie and Minnie Merle Moore, on 18 May 1942 at Florence, Lauderdale, Alabama, United States.¹
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