*A biographical sketch of Thaddeus Braffett taken from info in History of Wayne County, IN.

Thaddeus W. Orlando Braffett, the Auditor of Wayne Co., IN, was born in Bradford Co., PA, on April 12, 1829, a son of Alfred and Eliza (Long) Braffett, his father was a native of Pennsylvania, of French descent, and his mother, a native of Vermont, of English descent. In 1831, his parents moved to Ohio settling near old Fort Black, built by General William Henry Harrison, near New Madison, Darke Co., OH, then subsequently moving to Braffettsville in the same county. In the year of 1839, they moved to New Paris, Preble Co., OH and it was here that his father died in 1866.
Thaddeus was the second of five children. As a youth, he received a commercial school education and followed merchandising with his father until 1855. In 1857, he had lost his wife and went to California where he spent three years, in the mining interest, and returned in 1860. Thaddeus went to Geneseo, IL, in January of 1861, where he took charge of a wholesale and retail dry goods and agricultural house.
He at once offered his service to the Government when the first gun was fired at Fort Sumter. Thaddeus enlisted as a private in Company B, 9th Illinois Calvary and was promoted to Sergeant, Lieutenant and Captain of his company. It was at Fort Knobb, MO, where he first engaged in battle with the guerrilla bands of the Rebel Colonel Pickett; his regiment, with others of infantry, was placed under the command of General Steele, and they took up marching orders to join General Frank Siegel at Pea Ridge, but with guerrilla bands and bushwackers in front their march was impeded, and the battle of Pea Ridge was fought before General Steele's arrival. He, with his company, were then ordered to Jacksonburg, AR, where, after it's arrival, communication had been cut off by the Rebels, but the timely arrival of General Curtis's command from Pea Ridge, relieved them all from being captured as prisoners of war. Under the command of General Curtis, he, with others, were ordered to Little Rock, AK, fighting all the way for two weeks. Rebels in front of their line of march caused them to change their destination to Helena, on the Mississippi River. The constant exposure, forward marches and attacks by guerrilla bands in the front and rear, left the little army of General Curtis cut to pieces badly. Upon arriving to Helena, they camped on the low ground and disease soon took hold and one-third of Captain Braffett's company died; and after two months in camp, Captain Braffett contracted malaria. Thaddeus laid at Helena for two months almost dead, but rallied sufficiently to return to his home, at New Paris, OH. After a short furlough, he returned to his regiment, but the old disease again took hold, and prostrated him lower than ever. It was on account of this, he reluctantly tended his resignation. In January of 1863, he returned to his home, then to Richmond, Wayne Co., IN.
Captain Braffett, in 1865, was elected Assistant Clerk (by the Republicans) of the Indiana House of Representatives, also Assistant Clerk of the special session of that body in the same year, and Journal Clerk of the Indiana State Senate in 1869. He became the traveling agent for the wholesale grocery house of William Glenn & Sons, of Cincinnati, OH, whom he represented for several years, and afterward connected himself with the New York house of Francis H. Leggett & Co. He resigned his traveling agency, in 1880, and was appointed Deputy Clerk of the Wayne Circuit Court, which he held for three years, having been in the meantime elected Auditor of Wayne County entering this duty on November 1, 1883.
Thaddeus was married in 1849 to Sarah Ann E. Ireland, of New Paris, OH, who died in 1855, leaving three children: one son and two daughters. In January of 1862, while in the army, he married to Miss Elizabeth Jane Mitchell, of Oxford, Butler Co., OH, and they had three children: two sons and one daughter. He, and his family, resided in Richmond, IN at No. 36, S. 13th Street. The family were active members of the United Presbyterian Church.
Thaddeus was a Mason of high rank, having taken all the degrees conferred by that order in the United States (save the Thirty-third degree). He was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

*A biographical sketch of Thaddeus Braffett taken from info in History of Wayne County, IN.

Thaddeus W. Orlando Braffett, the Auditor of Wayne Co., IN, was born in Bradford Co., PA, on April 12, 1829, a son of Alfred and Eliza (Long) Braffett, his father was a native of Pennsylvania, of French descent, and his mother, a native of Vermont, of English descent. In 1831, his parents moved to Ohio settling near old Fort Black, built by General William Henry Harrison, near New Madison, Darke Co., OH, then subsequently moving to Braffettsville in the same county. In the year of 1839, they moved to New Paris, Preble Co., OH and it was here that his father died in 1866.
Thaddeus was the second of five children. As a youth, he received a commercial school education and followed merchandising with his father until 1855. In 1857, he had lost his wife and went to California where he spent three years, in the mining interest, and returned in 1860. Thaddeus went to Geneseo, IL, in January of 1861, where he took charge of a wholesale and retail dry goods and agricultural house.
He at once offered his service to the Government when the first gun was fired at Fort Sumter. Thaddeus enlisted as a private in Company B, 9th Illinois Calvary and was promoted to Sergeant, Lieutenant and Captain of his company. It was at Fort Knobb, MO, where he first engaged in battle with the guerrilla bands of the Rebel Colonel Pickett; his regiment, with others of infantry, was placed under the command of General Steele, and they took up marching orders to join General Frank Siegel at Pea Ridge, but with guerrilla bands and bushwackers in front their march was impeded, and the battle of Pea Ridge was fought before General Steele's arrival. He, with his company, were then ordered to Jacksonburg, AR, where, after it's arrival, communication had been cut off by the Rebels, but the timely arrival of General Curtis's command from Pea Ridge, relieved them all from being captured as prisoners of war. Under the command of General Curtis, he, with others, were ordered to Little Rock, AK, fighting all the way for two weeks. Rebels in front of their line of march caused them to change their destination to Helena, on the Mississippi River. The constant exposure, forward marches and attacks by guerrilla bands in the front and rear, left the little army of General Curtis cut to pieces badly. Upon arriving to Helena, they camped on the low ground and disease soon took hold and one-third of Captain Braffett's company died; and after two months in camp, Captain Braffett contracted malaria. Thaddeus laid at Helena for two months almost dead, but rallied sufficiently to return to his home, at New Paris, OH. After a short furlough, he returned to his regiment, but the old disease again took hold, and prostrated him lower than ever. It was on account of this, he reluctantly tended his resignation. In January of 1863, he returned to his home, then to Richmond, Wayne Co., IN.
Captain Braffett, in 1865, was elected Assistant Clerk (by the Republicans) of the Indiana House of Representatives, also Assistant Clerk of the special session of that body in the same year, and Journal Clerk of the Indiana State Senate in 1869. He became the traveling agent for the wholesale grocery house of William Glenn & Sons, of Cincinnati, OH, whom he represented for several years, and afterward connected himself with the New York house of Francis H. Leggett & Co. He resigned his traveling agency, in 1880, and was appointed Deputy Clerk of the Wayne Circuit Court, which he held for three years, having been in the meantime elected Auditor of Wayne County entering this duty on November 1, 1883.
Thaddeus was married in 1849 to Sarah Ann E. Ireland, of New Paris, OH, who died in 1855, leaving three children: one son and two daughters. In January of 1862, while in the army, he married to Miss Elizabeth Jane Mitchell, of Oxford, Butler Co., OH, and they had three children: two sons and one daughter. He, and his family, resided in Richmond, IN at No. 36, S. 13th Street. The family were active members of the United Presbyterian Church.
Thaddeus was a Mason of high rank, having taken all the degrees conferred by that order in the United States (save the Thirty-third degree). He was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.