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The War Song of 1865.
William Thomas Brantley and his younger brother Benjamin, were residents of Washington County, Georgia. In September 1861, the brothers enlisted in the Confederate Army at Griffin, Georgia, for the duration of the war. The men fought in the great "Battle of Antietum" where young Benjamin was wounded and captured by the Union Army. He would die from his wounds in a nearby farm home after only a few days. Later and toward the end of the war, Thomas would write to his family back home in Georgia, telling of his brother's death and the misery of the great civil war. This letter was written in song. In 1965, his daughter, Lula, who lived to be 96 years of age, gave the letter to founder Kenneth Brantley and recited the lyrics. In 1989, the song was put to music by professional artist. The lead singer, was Tom's great grandson, Michael Lee Brantley. While the song is not a professionally written piece of music, it is 10 minutes long and tells a remarkable story on the experiences and feelings of these Confederate soldiers and Brantley kinsmen, during this period of American history. |
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The Brantley Association 4750 Oakleigh Manor Dr Powder Springs, GA 30127 phone: 770-428-4402 email: brantleyassoc@bellsouth.net The Brantley Association is run by Ken Brantley. The Brantley Association web site is maintained by Ann Douglas |
