Generals in Gray: Lawrence Branch Traditional Geocache

I am a Civil War buff, so this series will present biographical sketches of generals who served in the Confederate States Army. As the series progresses, I hope not only to highlight the more well-known generals, but also those that you may not be as familiar with.

Lawrence O’Bryan Branch was born November 28, 1820 in Enfield, North Carolina. Branch’s family moved to Tennessee when he was a child, but after his parents’ deaths, he came back to North Carolina to live with his uncle, John Branch, a United States senator and former governor. Branch accompanied his uncle to Washington, DC, when the latter was appointed Secretary of the Navy by President Andrew Jackson. Branch was educated by private tutors and briefly attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before graduating first in his class at Princeton.

After Princeton, Branch studied law in Tennessee before moving to Tallahassee, Florida to practice law in 1840. The following year Branch fought in the Seminole Wars. In 1844, Branch married Nancy Haywood Blount, with whom he had four children. The Branches returned to North Carolina in 1852. Branch continued to practice law and served as president of the Raleigh and Gaston Railroad. In 1854, Branch was elected to the first of three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In 1861, Branch entered the Confederate Army as a private.. He was appointed State quartermaster general a month later, but soon resigned that post to become a colonel in the 33^rd North Carolina Infantry. Branch was promoted to brigadier general on January 16, 1862.

After the Battle of New Bern, Branch’s brigade was attached to A.P. Hill’s division, Stonewall Jackson’s corps. Branch was the senior brigadier general in Hill’s division. Among others, Branch’s brigade fought in the Battle of Hanover Courthouse, the Seven Days Battles, Second Manassas, and Harper’s Ferry.

On September 17, 1862, Branch’s troops joined the Battle of Antietam in time to help stop a Union advance against General Robert E. Lee’s right flank. Shortly after, while Branch stood talking with fellow generals, a Yankee sharpshooter opened fire on the group. Branch was hit in the head and died instantly. Branch is buried in the Old City Cemetery in Raleigh, North Carolina.

An earthworks fort was under construction near Hamilton, North Carolina at the time of Branch’s death. The fort was completed in February 1863, and named for General Branch. Today Fort Branch is home to a cool Virtual (GC5DDC) and the flagship cache in the Generals in Gray series (GC56HVT).