Braxton Bragg - Marriage and Civilian Life

Marriage and Civilian Life

On his celebratory tour, Bragg visited Evergreen Plantation in Thibodaux, Louisiana, where he met 23-year-old Eliza Brooks Ellis, known to her friends as Elise, a wealthy sugar heiress. They were married on June 7, 1849. The newlyweds relocated to Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, on September 10. They were forced to leave this relatively comfortable assignment in October 1853 when they were transferred to Fort Gibson in the Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). Eight months later, they were transferred to Fort Washita, near the Texas border. The primitive condition of these forts were unsuitable for the married couple, and after another six months Bragg requested leave and the couple returned to Thibodaux. Bragg traveled to Washington to implore Secretary of War Jefferson Davis to reassign his artillery battery away from frontier duty, but was unsuccessful.

On December 31, 1855, Bragg submitted his resignation from the Army and it became effective on January 3, 1856. He and his wife purchased a sugar plantation of 1,600 acres (6.5 km2) 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Thibodaux. Never one to oppose slavery in concept—both his father and his wife were slaveowners—his property used 105 slaves in its production. There is no evidence that he was a cruel slaveowner, but he continued to uphold his reputation as being a stern disciplinarian and an advocate of military efficiency. His methods resulted in almost immediate profitability, despite a large mortgage on the property. He became active in local politics and was elected to the Board of Public Works in 1860. Throughout the 1850s, Bragg had been disturbed by the accelerating sectional crisis. He opposed the concept of secession, believing that in a republic no majority could set aside a written constitution, but this belief would soon be tested.