Shea Brennan

Shea Brennan is a 1883 character, played by Sam Elliott. He is a tough-as-nails, handsome Pinkerton Agent with an immense sadness in his past. He has the herculean task of guiding a group along the Oregon Trail and he does not suffer fools.

Beware of 'spoilers' from here on down!

Personal life[]

Family[]

Brennan had a wife, named Helen, and a daughter, but both of them died. While mourning their deaths he set fire to their home.

Death[]

Believing lovers exchange parts of themselves with their loved ones, Shea's main objective of the journey was to let his wife Helen take a look at the ocean through his eyes. ^[1] Once he arrived at the West Coast he stared at the waves for a while, but did not see any reason to live anymore and killed himself while he sat on the beach. He had fulfilled the dream of his wife, to have a look at the ocean, and was now willing to let his own dream, to reunite with his wife, come true. ^[2]

Military service[]

United States Army[]

He was in the United States Army during the American Civil War and later became the captain of a "Buffalo Soldier" division. Thomas, Brennan's right-hand man, was among his group of soldiers.

Work[]

Pinkerton[]

Click here for the main page of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency.
Shea and Thomas started working for the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, where they became Detectives and were eventually hired to lead a group of immigrants northward.