James Dennis Brady
Encyclopedia
Col. James Dennis Brady was a U.S. Representative
from Virginia
. He was also an American Civil War
officer for the North. In between his public service years, he was a lawyer in private practice.
to Irish immigrant parents Bartholomew and Elizabeth Brady, who have four other children. His parents died in the 1855 Yellow Fever epidemic, which claimed the lives of approximately 10% of the Portsmouth population.
. He was commissioned as Lieutenant then Adjutant, promoted to Captain, Major, Lieutenant and Colonel of the regiment and last named officer honorably mustered out of service on 1865-05-26, claiming to be the "Youngest colonel in the Army of the Potomac."
He fought in all the great battles in which the Irish Brigade was engaged, and commanded "The Color Company" in the Battle of Fredericksburg
in 1862. He suffered four notable injuries including being wounded in the head while leading his company in the assault of the Irish Brigade upon Marye’s heights; in the leg in the second day of the battle of Fair Oaks, the morning that General Howard lost his arm; wounded in the mouth at Malvern Hill; and again wounded in the arm at Cold Harbor 1864-06-03, in which he a shot passed through his abdomen. Personally complimented by General Hancock at the battle of Fredericksburg on the afternoon that General Zook was mortally wounded. (Brady was with him).
Brady was elected Clerk of the Court in Portsmouth and served from 1865 to 1877. President Hayes
appoints Brady Collector of Internal Revenue for the second district of Virginia from 1877 to 1885, and from 1889 to 1900.
He served as delegate to the Republican National Conventions, 1880, 1888, and 1896.
He had a successful run for the Senate in 1875 that was overturned due to a ballot stuffing
scandal. But he wrote, "...There is nothing that discourages me... ", and was later elected to the Forty-ninth
Congress (March 4, 1885-March 3, 1887). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1886.
He died on November 30, 1900, in Petersburg, Virginia
and was interred in St. Joseph's Cemetery, Petersburg Virginia.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. He was also an American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
officer for the North. In between his public service years, he was a lawyer in private practice.
Early life
Brady was born in Portsmouth, VirginiaPortsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the city had a total population of 95,535.The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S...
to Irish immigrant parents Bartholomew and Elizabeth Brady, who have four other children. His parents died in the 1855 Yellow Fever epidemic, which claimed the lives of approximately 10% of the Portsmouth population.
Civil War accomplishments
Brady enlisted on 1861-03-09 as a private in Company A, 37th New York Volunteers, "Irish Riffles", and with the Irish BrigadeIrish Brigade (US)
The Irish Brigade was an infantry brigade, consisting predominantly of Irish Americans, that served in the Union Army in the American Civil War. The designation of the first regiment in the brigade, the 69th New York Infantry, or the "Fighting 69th", continued in later wars...
. He was commissioned as Lieutenant then Adjutant, promoted to Captain, Major, Lieutenant and Colonel of the regiment and last named officer honorably mustered out of service on 1865-05-26, claiming to be the "Youngest colonel in the Army of the Potomac."
He fought in all the great battles in which the Irish Brigade was engaged, and commanded "The Color Company" in the Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
in 1862. He suffered four notable injuries including being wounded in the head while leading his company in the assault of the Irish Brigade upon Marye’s heights; in the leg in the second day of the battle of Fair Oaks, the morning that General Howard lost his arm; wounded in the mouth at Malvern Hill; and again wounded in the arm at Cold Harbor 1864-06-03, in which he a shot passed through his abdomen. Personally complimented by General Hancock at the battle of Fredericksburg on the afternoon that General Zook was mortally wounded. (Brady was with him).
Post-war life
James Brady returned to Virginia after the war, taking home the colors (flag) of the Irish Brigade, as was the tradition. He later donated the flag to Notre Dame who wrote a book on the flag called Blue for the Union, Green for Ireland.Brady was elected Clerk of the Court in Portsmouth and served from 1865 to 1877. President Hayes
Rutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford Birchard Hayes was the 19th President of the United States . As president, he oversaw the end of Reconstruction and the United States' entry into the Second Industrial Revolution...
appoints Brady Collector of Internal Revenue for the second district of Virginia from 1877 to 1885, and from 1889 to 1900.
He served as delegate to the Republican National Conventions, 1880, 1888, and 1896.
He had a successful run for the Senate in 1875 that was overturned due to a ballot stuffing
Ballot stuffing
Ballot stuffing is the illegal act of one person submitting multiple ballots during a vote in which only one ballot per person is permitted. The name originates from the earliest days of this practice in which people literally did stuff more than one ballot in a ballot box at the same time...
scandal. But he wrote, "...There is nothing that discourages me... ", and was later elected to the Forty-ninth
49th United States Congress
The Forty-ninth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1885 to March 4, 1887, during the first two years...
Congress (March 4, 1885-March 3, 1887). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1886.
He died on November 30, 1900, in Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
and was interred in St. Joseph's Cemetery, Petersburg Virginia.