Person:Charles Brayton (2)

BRAYTON, Charles Ray, of Wm. D. and Anna W., [born] Aug. 16, 1840.

Friday, Sept. 23, 1910, General Charles R. Brayton died at Jane Brown Hospital. His wife and son, William S. Brayton were at his side. Few men were better known throughout this State than Gen. Brayton, and his death was discussed in all circles today. He was unquestionably one of the greatest political leaders in this State. He was a member fo the Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery Veteran Association. He was appointed Brigadier-General of United States Volunteers by President Lincoln. He was Postmast of Providence, from 1874 to 1880 and for the past 25 years popularly known as the Republican "boss" of Rhode Island.

He was a descendant of the distinguished original settler, Francis Brayton of Portsmouth. Gen. Brayton's grandfather was Hon. Charles Brayton who was a Justice of the Supreme Court from 1814 to 1817 and 1827 to 1830. This honored justice left two sons, the younger of whom was the father of Gen. Brayton, William Daniel Brayton. The elder brother, George Arnold Brayton became Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court in 1868. Most of the Braytons lived on the East shore of Narragansett Bay. Gen. Brayton's g-g-grandfather Francis, established the village of Washington, R.I., erecting a grist mill and forge there. Both Gen. Brayton's father and uncle wedded daughters of Ray Clarke of East Greenwich, who was a descendant of Dr. John Clarke, of King Charles Charter fame. They were grandnieces of Gen. Nathanael Greene. Hon. William D. Brayton married twice. His first wife, Ann Ward Clarke, the mother of Gen. Brayton died in 1858 leaving seven children to reach adult age. The eldest of these, Gen. Brayton, was born at Apponaug, Warwick, Aug. 16, 1840. He married a daughter of Stanton Belden, Nettie. Two children were born. Mr. Brayton's brothers and sister were: George, William D., Mrs. Charles Wheaton, Mrs. James P. Rhodes, Mrs. Margaret Small, Mrs. Mary Eliza Ward Arnold and Miss Sarah S. Brayton, a half-sister.

General Charles Ray Brayton, son of Hon. William Daniel and Anna W. (Clarke) Brayton, was born at Apponaug, R. I., August 16, 1840. He was a nephew on his mother's side of General Nathanael Greene, of Revolutionary fame, and a direct descendant of Hon. Samuel Ward, of early Colonial days.

Charles R. Brayton received his early education in the public schools of Apponaug, later attending Providence Conference Seminary, the Classical Seminary at Kingston Hill, a boarding school at Brookfield, Mass., and the Fruit Hill Classical Institute, where he prepared for college. He matriculated at Brown University, and was pursuing his studies there at the outbreak of the Civil War. He left college before his graduation and returned to Warwick, where he organized a company for the Third Rhode Island Volunteers. He was commissioned from Providence, August 27, 1861, for three years, and was mustered into the United States service at Camp Ames, R. I., on October 9, following, as first lieutenant in Captain John H. Gould's company, Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. He was afterwards transferred to Company H and then to Company C. Going immediately to the fighting front, he participated in some of the most stirring engagements of the war. The Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery was the largest military organization ever sent into the field by the State of Rhode Island. It was organized at Camp Ames in August and September, 1861, and on September 7, the regiment consisting of nine companies embarked for Fort Hamilton, where the tenth company was formed and the regiment organization completed. The regiment was then nominally a regiment of infantry, but the name was changed officially on December 19 to that of the Third Regiment, Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. On October 12, it embarked for Fortress Monroe, where the forces were gathering under General Thomas W. Sherman and Commodore Du Pont preparatory to a descent upon the coast of South Carolina. While in camp at this place the regiment changed its uniform of gray for that of Union blue. On October 29 the expedition got under way, and after a stormy passage began to assemble off Port Royal, S. C., November 4. The regiment was present at the naval engagement of November 7 but did not participate, as planned in the capture of the forts, as the participation of the land forces had to be abandoned in consequence of the loss during the voyage of the greater portion of the means of disembarkment of troops. Two companies, however, B and C, were landed on the day of the engagement, and the remainder of the regiment on the following day. This was the only expedition in which the regiment served as a unit. Never after this were the ten companies brought together in any one combined movement, and even when several companies served in the same campaign, they were not all in the same command. Soon after landing at Port Royal, the companies were separated never to meet again as a regiment, and not even at their final muster-out.

Companies B and C, the latter commanded by Captain Brayton, garrisoned Fort Wells on Hilton Head, companies D and H, Fort Seward, at Bay Point, company I to Otter island to garrison Fort Drayton, and the remainder of the regiment manned the entrenchments which it helped to construct on Hilton Head. During its service the regiment, or detachment of it, participated in the following engagements: Fort Pulaski, Sucessionville, Pocotaligo, Morris Island, Fort Sumpter, Fort Wagner, Olustee, Drury's Bluff, Laurell Hill, Honey Hill, Deveaux Beck, Fort Burnham, Petersburg, and many minor encounters. Company C under Captain Brayton, on several occasions accompanied expeditions into the enemy's country for the capture of property and the rescue of slaves. This Battery served its light guns from the transport 'John Adams', and rendered signal service, notably in the expedition up the Combahee river, in June, and again against Darien, Ga.

During the winter of 1863-64, a large part of the regiment remained on Morris island, and was almost constantly, day and night, under fire. In November companies A and E joined the six already there, and Lieutenant Colonel Brayton assumed command of these eight companies at the front, through Colonel Metcalf was at Morris island a part of the winter, as was also Major Ames. The return and muster-out of those who did not re-enlist took place at different times. On August 24, 1864, Captains Strahan and Turner arrived in Providence with the first detachment, which was mustered out August 31. On September 30, 1864, Colonel Brayton and most of the field and line officers arrived with another detachment, who were mustered out October 4, 1864. While on Morris island, Colonel Brayton was appointed Chief of Artillery on the staff of General Gillmore, of the Department of the South. Charles R. Brayton was at all times with his command bearing a loyal part in its engagements and expeditions, and achieved a gallant record for brave and meritorious service, for which he was commissioned captain, November 28, 1862, lieutenant-colonel, November 17, 1863, colonel, March 22, 1864. On March 13, 1865, he was breveted brigadier-general, and was mustered out of the service in October of the same year. He was a forceful and able commander, and through military genius and executive ability the troops under his command developed into an organization of exceptional fitness and excellence. He ranked among the foremost of New England generals in the war, and during the period of his service acquired a prominence and prestige in military and public affairs, which made him an honored figure in Rhode Island life until the time of his death. Returning to the North after the war, General Brayton held the office of Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue in Rhode Island. He subsequently held the offices of postmaster of Port Royal, S. C., and captain in the Seventeenth United States Infantry Regiment, resigning the later post after two months. He next held the office of United States Pension Agent for Rhode Island.

Shortly afterward, General Brayton entered the field of public affairs and politics. He was elected deputy town clerk and trial justice of Warwick, R. I., and subsequently became postmaster of the city of Providence. He was a figure of influence in Republican politics throughout the State of Rhode Island, and was said to be the most powerful personality in Republican politics in the State. For many years he was chairman of the Republican State Central Committee, and a member of the Republican National Committee. In 1901 General Brayton was admitted to the bar of Rhode Island, and within a short time became one of the foremost leaders of the legal profession in Rhode Island. He was a man of wide culture and great intellectual attainments, possessing great versatility of mind and tastes, as is shown by the varied phases of his career. In 1903 the loss of his sight compelled his retirement from active life, at a time when, although advanced in years, he was a vital force in public life in Rhode Island. He was a brilliant conversationalist, a forceful and convincing as well as graceful speaker, a finished writer of lucid and direct style. His death occurred at Providence, R. I., September 23, 1910.

General Brayton married, at Fruit Hill, North Providence, R. I., on March 13, 1865, Antoinette Percival, daughter of Stanton Beldon, well-known scholar and educator. They were the parents of two children: 1. Antoinette Percival, deceased, married Henry B. Deming, of Providence. 2. William Stanton, married Alice Waite, daughter of Professor Waite, of Cornell University; connected with the General Electric Company. Mrs. Brayton survives her husband, and resides in Providence, R. I.