Deborah
53rd VA-John Bradner/Chatham Grays
Wed May 2 11:29:53 2001


The Chatham Grays were Co. I, 53rd Regiment Virginia Vols.

John Bradner b. 7 April 1840; d. 1904; m. (1st) 1864, Pittsylvania Co. Va. to Martha Wells b. 25
Sept. 1843; d. 13 Aug. 1916; divorced ca. 1877.
Children: Frank Wells Bradner, John Thomas Bradner, Victoria Bradner, Mollie Bradner.

m. (2nd) 1 Nov. 1883 to Martha Jane Byrd b. 1860; d. 1942.
Moved to Yanceyville, NC and both are bur. in the Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Yanceyville.
Children: Bruce Bradner, Dunreath Bradner, Lance Lauriston Bradner, Laura Bradner, Jesse
Bradner, John Claude Bradner, Kate Bradner, Henrietta Bradner, Harry Bradner, Charles Shelton
Bradner, Taylor Carlton Bradner.

The Roster of Confederate Soldiers 1861-1865, Vol. II, 1995, Broadfoot Publishing Co.,
Wilmington, N.C., pg 293 states that John Bradner served in the 53rd VA. Infantry, Co. F and later in
Co.I as a Sgt.

From a letter from Lance Lauriston Bradner to his grandson, Howard L. Gribble dated April 1957
regarding Lance's father, John Bradner:

"Your great granddaddy was 21 years old when he joined the Confederate Army. He left Chatham,
Va., with the Chatham Grays on the 23rd day of April 1861. He was put in Pickett's Div. in
Richmond, Va., and remained with it until the end of the War. He was a member of the 53rd Virginia
Regiment, Longstreet's Corps. he took part in the seven days fight around Richmond and other battles,
then went on over into Maryland, and on July 3rd 1863 was in Pickett's Charge Gettysburg. There
were 70 men in his Company when they made the charge, and only three men in the Company
answered the roll call next morning, and one of them had a slight wound. So you see, he and one other
were the only ones in his Company that didn't get a scratch.
They moved on back over into Virginia and were captured at a little place called Five Points, near
where Lee surrendered, on April 2nd 1865, just before Lee surrendered on the 9th. He was carried to
Pointe Lookout, Md. and kept prisoner till the 23rd day of June 1865, exactly 4 years and 2 months
from the time he joined."

John was the son of John Carr Bradner and Henrietta Craft Bradner.

(Thanks to everyone who assisted with the information on the above!!)