Not every soldier who made the fateful charge on July 3, 1863 had been a great and honorable soldier.

William Brady was found in the 1860 census as being born in 1827 in Ireland and a shoe maker by trade at the State penitentiary in Richmond, Virginia located in Henrico County for charges of assault with intent to kill and enumerated on June 18, 1860.

Private William Brady was a former Confederate with Company E 38th Regiment, (Pittsylvania) Virginia Infantry. He was with Longstreet's Corps; Pickett's Division; Armistead's Brigade at the Gettysburg Campaign. (June 3 - July 24, 1863) Company E was known as the "Cabell Guards" Compiled Military Service Records reported him enlisting on December 1, 1861 for one year and told Confederate authorities he was 36 years old. Confederate Compiled Military Service Records reported him in the hospital for having diarrhea and rheumatism and syphilis and on June 4, 1862 being admitted for having a gunshot wound to the penis and returned to duty on June 12, 1863 just in time for the Gettysburg Campaign.

Federal POW records reported him as a prisoner during the Gettysburg Campaign and among a list of captured Confederate soldiers who were desirous of joining the Union Army at Fort Delaware dated August 30, 1863 and later transferred to the 3rd Maryland Cavalry and told Union authorities he had volunteered for Confederate service and had been born in Ireland. William Brady became a Union volunteer on September 18, 1863 at Fort Delaware and was mustered into U. S. government service with Company D, 3rd Maryland Cavalry on September 23, 1863 at Baltimore. He told Federal authorities that he was 38 years of age, born in Tipperary County, Ireland, and a shoe maker prior to the war. Federal enrollment officers described him as having blue eyes, light hair, a light complexion and standing 5 feet 5 inches tall.

3rd Maryland Cavalry Compiled Military Service Records reported him found drunk on the streets of Baltimore, Maryland on October 1, 1863 and arrested for not having a pass.

3rd Maryland Cavalry Compiled Military Service Records reported him taken prisoner by the Confederates on May 17, 1864.
The following was located at the NARA in DC on pension records concerning his capture.

“Fort Gaines, Alabama November 8, 1864
Dear Susanna, This is the first I had the opportunity to write to you since I have been a prisoner. I was captured by the Rebels on the 17th of last May on the retreat from Alexandria (Louisiana) under General Banks, my horse fell with me in the charge we made against the enemy my back was hurt by my horse falling on me. I cannot tell you the hardship that I went through, the Rebels put us in a open field without clothing or houses. I had no shelter from the sun or rain but lay out in the open air like the cattle in a pasture field. I have been near six months a prisoner with the Rebs in Texas (Probably Camp Ford) I have not drawn no pay for 12 months. I expect to get my pay sometime this month, there is $100.74 dollars due me.”

The following month 3rd Maryland Cavalry Compiled Military Service Records reported him lost at sea on December 18, 1864 aboard the United States Transport "North America"