Aaron Branham was born about 1832 in
Roane County, Tennessee, to John and Melinda Kane Branham. On November 19,
1854, Aaron married Catherine Freeman of Roane County, Tennessee. They had a
daughter whose name was Margaret. Aaron and his three brothers Elias
Mitchell, John C., and Marquis de Lafayette Branham walked covertly over
land in the dark of night to arrive in Kentucky where they joined the Union
Army during the Civil War. They were four of the 30,000 Tennesseans who
fought for the Union, many of them from East Tennessee. Patriots they were
as the name of his brother 'Fate' was named for the Frenchman who
fought with George Washington during the Revolution. On November 6, 1963,
while Aaron and his brothers were fighting with the 2nd TN Mounted Infantry
at the Battle of Big Creek in Rogersville, Tennessee, his brothers were
captured and sent to the southern-kept Andersonville Prison outside of
Macon, Georgia, where they died from the horrible conditions of the camp.
Aaron served from February 25, 1862, until he was honorably discharged three
years later. In June of 1862, he received the rank of Corporal. In 1870,
Aaron and Catherine lived on Whiteside Street (current Broad Street) in
Chattanooga. At that time, Aaron worked at Rolly Mill. From the effects of
the Civil War, he was sick the rest of his life which probably caused his
early death on September 22, 1877, at the age of 45. Aaron is buried at the
Chattanooga National Cemetery, and Catherine is buried in Forest Hills
Cemetery.
