Last Updated on August 27, 2012 by
IRA W. BRAGG, son of Ira Bragg, who came from Royalston, Mass., was born July 28, 1833. Fitted for college at Meriden and studied medicine with Dr. Perkins, of Marlow, N. H. He attended lectures at Dartmouth and Harvard Colleges, and graduated at the latter institution in 1859. After spending a year in the Marine Hospital at Chelsea, he went to Europe and passed several months in the hospitals of Liverpool and London, endeavoring to still further qualify himself for his profession. Upon his return, after practicing a year at Chelsea, Mass., he was appointed Assistant Surgeon in the Navy ; was on board the Minnesota at the time of its fearful engagement with the Merrimac, when the Cumberland went down, and the famous Monitor made its first appearance. He was transferred to the San Jacinto, the flag ship of the East Gulf Blockading Squadron, and was on board her during her pursuit of the Alabama among the West Indies and at South America. He was ordered to the West Gulf Blockading Squadron, and from thence to the Naval Hospital at New Orleans, where, on the twenty-first of October, 1864, worn down by excessive labor and anxiety for the sick, he fell a victim to the yellow fever. In few men were more happily combined rare merit and. graceful modesty.