John Brawner

John Brawnee (1822-1892) served in the 27th Missouri infantry and was a Sergeant, I can't find any info though, please,help.

I found the name spelled Brawner He enlisted at St. Louis in Co.A 9/1/1862 as a Corporal.

Report of Lieut. James Marquess, Twenty-seventh Missouri Infantry.

[MAY --, 1863.]
I volunteered to run the blockade at Vicksburg on the steam tug George
Sturgess, with two barges in tow, loaded with commissary stores and
hay, on the night of the 3d of May, 1863.

We left the steamboat A. D. Hines at Young's Point, La., about 1 a.m.
May 4. Just below the mouth of the lower canal, the enemy opened fire
on us with infantry from the Louisiana side of the river. We returned
the fire, but could not see that they were making any attempt to board
us. The musketry fire did us no damage. The light guns of the batteries
on the Mississippi side then commenced firing upon us. They struck us
frequently with solid shot, but did no damage to either tug or barges.
We were under a continual fire from this time until we reached the
bend. We then ran under the range of a water battery. This battery
opened fire on us, firing shells principally. The tug was struck by a
shell from the battery, which exploded and blew her up, and set the tug
and both barges on fire. I am under the impression that the shell that
blew the tug up struck her on top of the boiler and exploded there. All
the damage was done immediately. At the time the shell exploded on the
tug, the barge on the Mississippi side of the river was in a sinking
condition. The barge on the Louisiana side was uninjured up to the time
of the explosion. The explosion of the shell made the fire general, both
on the tug and barges. We were running at the rate of about 4 miles per
hour when the first fire opened upon us. When the shell exploded, we
were running at the rate of about 6 miles per hour, as near as I can judge.

After the explosion, the tug and barges being enveloped in flames, the
men on board generally endeavored to make their escape from them.
The enemy continued their fire, striking the barge next Vicksburg
frequently. Their batteries appeared to play heavier at this time than they
did before they struck the barges at all. Our men asked for no quarter
for some fifteen minutes after the explosion. We were then in talking
distance of the enemy. After quarter was asked, there the time quarter
was asked for, I was swimming toward the Louisiana shore, having
made my escape from the tug on a plank, and was about 50 yards from
the barges. Some of the men were on the barges at this time--cannot
state now many -and several were in the water, swimming for the
Louisiana shore. The rebels continued their fire on the men in the water
after they had left the barges.

The enemy eventually ceased firing, and came to the assistance of the
men in the water with two skiffs. One came out and picked up the
men who were in the water, and the other skiff approached the barges. I
supposed they were taking off the men that remained there, but cannot
state whether they got any of them off the barges. I reached the
Louisiana shore on a plank just above the mouth of the canal. When I
reached the shore, which, I thin, was about two hours after the
explosion, the barges had drifted down the river some distance toward
the Louisiana shore. When I arrived near the Louisiana shore, I found
some of our troops there (think about three regiments), some of whom
assisted me on shore out of the water. I think that the barges and tug
were entirely consumed by fire. The last I saw of them they were all
enveloped in flames.

JAMES MARQUESS,
First Lieut. Company G, Twenty-seventh Missouri Volunteers.

Source: Official Records
CHAP. XXXVI.] ACTION AT KING'S CREEK, MISS. PAGE 688-36
[Series I. Vol. 24. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 36.]

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HDQRS. TWENTY-SEVENTH MISSOURI INFANTRY,
Bridgeport, Ala., December 13, 1863.
SIR: I have the honor to report, for the information of His Excellency
the Governor of Missouri, the part taken by the Twenty-seventh
Regt. of Infantry Missouri Volunteers, under my command, during
the engagements of the 24th and 25th of November, before Chattanooga,
Tennessee:

On the evening of the 24th, shortly after daylight, Osterhaus' division,
to which the Twenty-seventh Missouri belongs, marched to the foot of
Lookout Mountain and there met the division of Gen. Geary, both
under the command of Gen. Hooker, to whom was assigned the
important duty of capturing Lookout Mountain; Geary's division on the
right and Osterhaus' on the left, the Twenty-seventh on the right of
Osterhaus' division.

We commenced the ascent of the mountain with but little opposition,
capturing everything in our path. We swept around the side of the
mountain in this way for the distance of 2 miles, when we came to the
enemy's rifle-pits, which were captured also, together with two pieces
of artillery in the front of Gen. Geary. At this point the enemy fell
back into heavy timber, and commenced a rapid fire of musketry, which
was kept up on both sides, without cessation, until 12 o'clock that night.
We lay on our arms all night, and when daylight came it was to find the
enemy gone and the stronghold of Bragg's army in our possession.

Soon the Stars and Stripes were floating from the highest point
overlooking Chattanooga. In this engagement the Twenty-seventh lost 2
killed and 3 wounded. It was here Adjutant Wellmeyer was shot in the
left lung. In this officer the regiment has sustained a great loss. Too
much praise cannot be bestowed upon him for his bravery as a soldier
and his capacity as an officer. The Twenty-seventh captured on that day
240 prisoners, including 1 major, 1 captain, and 5 lieutenants. I am
proud to say, as every loyal Missourian ought to be, that Missouri has
been well represented in the capture of Lookout Mountain on that
memorable day.

Early on the morning of the 25th, we marched down the mountain,
Osterhaus' division in advance, the Twenty-seventh in front, and moved
in the direction of Missionary Ridge. We did not go far when we came
to a bridge destroyed by the enemy in their retreat from the mountain.
Gen. Osterhaus ordered the Twenty-seventh to cross on some
driftwood, and engage the enemy as skirmishers, if we should find him,
while himself and Gen. Woods, with the remainder of our brigade,
set to work building the bridge. We then advanced about 1 mile, when
we came to a place called Rossville Gap, the extreme left of Bragg's
position on Missionary Ridge. Here the enemy was strongly posted in
the gap, with four pieces of artillery and a strong support of infantry.
We engaged him at once, and in such a manner as to cause him to open
upon us with his artillery, but with little injury to us, his sharpshooters
doing all the injury we received. We fought him here two hours or more,
pressing him hard all the time, until the bridge was finished, when our
division crossed over, but before it got into position the Twenty-seventh
captured the gap, driving the enemy in confusion up the hill,
with such precipitancy that he left everything but his artillery in our
possession. We pursued him until we came to a fork in the road where
his forces had separated; we never saw them afterward. Here we halted
and planted our standard on the top of Missionary Ridge, and on the left
and rear of Bragg's army, a most important position, on which enabled
the brave and gallant Osterhaus, who was with us at the time, to get in
the rear of the enemy's left wing, which was then about to flee in
confusion.

Our division having now come up with us, Osterhaus was not long in
taking advantage of the position thus gained. We moved forward the
distance of 1 1/2 miles, when we encountered and captured the greater
part of Clayton's rebel brigade, with one piece of artillery, our division
suffering but little in this engagement. It was now near night, and the
enemy retreating in all directions, broken into small squads. We had all
we could do to get the captured together, when night had thrown her
dark mantle over one of the most glorious scenes in this war-the rout of
the rebel army from Missionary Ridge.

The Twenty-seventh captured at Rossville Gap large quantities of arms,
fixed ammunition for artillery and infantry, and a large supply of
commissary and quartermaster's supplies. Later in the day we captured
several horses, mules, and wagons, one of the wagons loaded with
ammunition for Clayton's rebel brigade, the remainder with baggage, all
of which were destroyed.

In this day's engagement we lost 2 killed and 6 wounded (1 officer,
Lieut. McFadden, slightly), and 2 missing. The enemy's loss at the
gap was much greater, he having 7 killed and 36 wounded. We captured
160 prisoners, including 1 surgeon and 1 chaplain, making a total of 400
captured by the Twenty-seventh during the two days' engagements-1 for
each man in the regiment and 150 over.

I am happy to say, as commanding officer of the Twenty-seventh
Infantry Missouri Volunteers, that every officer and man honorably
sustained the reputation already won by the soldiers of Missouri on
many a hard-fought battle-field.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

THOMAS CURLY,
Col., Cmdg. Twenty-seventh Missouri Volunteers.

JOHN B. GRAY,
Adjutant-Gen., State of Missouri.

Source: Official Records
CHAP. XLIII.] THE CHATTANOOGA-RINGGOLD CAMPAIGN. PAGE 610-55
[Series I. Vol. 31. Part II, Reports. Serial No. 55.]

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Pretty extensive service record at Fold3. Here's two pages:
brawner.jpg
brawner2.jpg
 
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