Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume III.djvu/189

BRAGA BRAHAM 183 so on. The best hand is a pair royal, i. e., three cards of one kind, the highest being three aces; the next is the highest pair, and then the high- est single card. Stakes are put up by each player, after which the cards are shown and the best hand wins. BRAGi (anc. Braeara Augusta), a city of Portugal, in the province of Minho, 33 m. N. by E. of Oporto; pop. in 1864, 19,514. It is situated on an eminence between the rivers Oavado and Deste, and is surrounded by old walls and defended by a fortress. It is the archiepiscopal see of the primate of Portugal, and contains a fine Gothic cathedral, the palace of the archbishop, and a large number of foun- tains. In the vicinity is the remarkable pil- grimage chapel of the Bom Jegut, which stands on the summit of a steep hill, whence there is a magnificent view of the city and of its pic- turesque environs. Many articles of common use are largely manufactured here, and there are weekly markets and two important annual fairs. The town is supposed to have been founded by the Carthaginians. There are con- siderable remains of its Roman occupation. It was afterward the capital of the Suevi, and one of the most prominent towns in the early his- tory of Portugal. BRAGANf A, or Braganza, a town of Portugal, capital of the province of Tras-os-Montes, 103 m. N. E. of Oporto; pop. in 1864, 5,101. It has the ruins of an ancient castle, one of the finest feudal remains in Portugal. It is the see of a bishop, and has some manufactories of silks and velvets. Braganca has given its name to the present royal family of Portugal. BRAGM^A, House of, the reigning house of Portugal, derived from Affonso, duke of Bra- ganca, a natural son of John I., king of Portu- gal. The constitution of Lamego, 1139, de- clares that no foreign prince can succeed to the throne ; consequently in 1578, on the death of King Sebastian in Africa, without issue, his people had recourse to the illegitimate line of Braganca. Philip II. of Spain, however, claimed the throne, and successfully supported his pretensions by an army under the duke of Alva. Philip and his successors on the Spanish throne continued to rule Portugal till 1640, when the Portuguese shook off the Spanish yoke and proclaimed Dom Joao, the then duke of Braganca, their king. He assumed the title of John IV., and the line of Braganca has con- tinued to rule Portugal till the present time. BRAGG, Braxton, an American general in the confederate service, bofn in Warren county, N. 0., about 1815. He graduated at West Point in 1837, was appointed lieutenant of artillery, and served mainly in Florida till 1843, during the war with the Seminoles; from 1843 to 1845 he was stationed at Fort Moultrie, in Charleston harbor, and just before the breaking out of the war with Mexico was or- dered to Texas. In May, 1846, he was made captain by brevet for gallant conduct in the defence of Fort Brown, and in June was made captain of artillery. He was present at the battle of Monterey, Sept. 21-23, and was bre- veted as major for gallant conduct there ; and in 1847 he was breveted as lieutenant colonel for gallant conduct in the battle of Buena Vista. From 1848 to 1855 he was engaged in frontier service at Jefferson Barracks, Mo., Fort Gibson, and Washita. In March, 1855, he was appointed major of cavalry, but declin- ed, and received leave of absence. In January, 1856, he resigned his commission in the army, and retired to his plantation at Thibodeaux, La. In 1859-'61 he was commissioner of the board of public works of the state of Louisiana. When the civil war broke out, he joined the confederates, was appointed brigadier general, and placed in command at Pensacola. In Feb- ruary, 1862, he was made major general, and ordered to join the army of the Mississippi. He took part in the battle of Shiloh, April 6 and 7, was raised to the full rank of gen- eral in place of Gen. A. S. Johnston, killed at Shiloh, and after the evacuation of Corinth succeeded Gen. Beauregard in command of the department. In August he left Tennessee at the head of a strong force, and entered Ken- tucky, but after the battle of Perryville, Oct. 8, was forced to retreat, carrying with him a vast amount of supplies and many recruits from Kentucky. He was removed from his command and placed under arrest, but was soon restored, and resumed command of the force opposed to the federal army under Rose- crans. He was checked by Rosecrans in the protracted contest of Stone river or Murfrees- boro, Dec. 26, 1862, to Jan. 2, 1863, again en- countered and defeated him at Chickamauga, Sept. 19-20, 1863, but was decisively defeated by Gen. Grant at Chattanooga, Nov. 23-25. Shortly afterward he was relieved from com- mand and called to Richmond, where for a time he acted as military adviser to President Davis, with whom he was a favorite. In the autumn of 1864 he led a small force from North Carolina to Georgia, to operate against Sher- man, but without success. BRAHAM, John, an English tenor singer, born of Jewish parents in London about 1774, died there, Feb. 17, 1856. He first appeared on the stage at the age of 12 years, and for more than half a century enjoyed a high reputation throughout Europe. In 1796 he appeared in opera at the Drury Lane theatre, after which he sang with the greatest success in Paris and the leading cities of Italy. Returning to Eng- land in 1801, he appeared in opera at Covent Garden and afterward at Drury Lane, where for more than 25 years he proved a strong at- traction. In 1840 and 1841 he appeared in the United States and created great enthusiasm by his singing in operas, oratorios, and con- certs. In 1841 he returned to England, and continued even to the age of 80 years to attract large audiences. He was noted for the purity of his voice and the brilliancy of his execution, and is said to have retained command of the