John Buford Jr. (1826 - 1863)

Born 4 Mar 1826 in Woodford County, Kentucky

Ancestors

Husband of Martha McDowell (Duke) Buford — married 9 May 1854 (to 16 Dec 1863) in Kentucky

Died 16 Dec 1863 at age 37 in Washington, District of Columbia

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Biography

John Buford Jr. is Notable.

John Buford, Jr. (March 4, 1826 – December 16, 1863) was a United States Army cavalry officer. He fought for the Union as a brigadier general during the American Civil War. Buford is best known for having played a major role in the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg on July 1, 1863 while in command of a division.

Buford graduated from West Point Military Academy in 1848. Buford remained loyal to the United States at the beginning of the Civil War, despite having been born in the divided border state of Kentucky. He fought during the war against the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia as part of the Army of the Potomac. His first command was a cavalry brigade under Major General John Pope, and he distinguished himself at Second Bull Run in August 1862, where he was wounded, and also saw action at Antietam in September and Stoneman's Raid in spring 1863.

Buford's cavalry division played a crucial role in the Gettysburg Campaign that summer. Arriving at the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on June 30 before the Confederate troops reached the place, Buford set up defensive positions. On the morning of July 1, Buford's division was attacked by a Confederate division under the command of Major General Henry Heth. His men held just long enough for Union reinforcements to arrive. After a massive three day battle, the Union troops emerged victorious. Later, Buford rendered valuable service to the Army, both in the pursuit of Robert E. Lee after the Battle of Gettysburg, and in the Bristoe Campaign that autumn, but his health started to fail, possibly from typhoid. On his deathbed, he received a personal message from President Abraham Lincoln, promoting him to major general of volunteers in recognition of his tactical skill and leadership displayed on the first day of Gettysburg. He died at age 37.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Buford

On December 16, John Buford, Jr. died in the arms of his loyal aide, Myles W. Keogh, shortly after receiving his promotion to major general. Buford was greatly lamented. Twelve major generals, including Winfield Scott Hancock, served as his pall bearers. He was buried at West Point.

Source: http://www.gdg.org/Research/People/Buford/bufbio.html

Sources

• Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.: From Its Establishment, in 1802, to 1890, Volume II, By George Washington Cullum, Houghton, Mifflin, 1891. Pages 353-355. https://archive.org/stream/biographicalregi02bost#page/352/mode/2up

• Civil War Women - Martha McDowell Duke Buford [1]

• Wikipedia Biography on John Buford, Jr. [2]

• A Brief Biography of John Buford, by Eric Wittenberg [3]

• American Battlefield Trust - Biography on John Buford [4]

• History of Woodford County, Kentucky. By William E. Railey. Genealogical Publishing Com, 1975. Pages 90-91. [5]

• "Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKJ9-KVHF : accessed 13 October 2017), John Buford and Patsy Duke, 09 May 1854; citing Scott, Kentucky, United States, Madison County Courthouse, Richmond; FHL microfilm 183,225.

• Find A Grave Memorial for John Buford [6]

• "United States Civil War and Later Pension Index, 1861-1917", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N4BP-4TR : 24 March 2016), John Buford, 1864.

• Kristopher D. White and Chris Mackowski, Stay and Fight it Out: The Second Day at Gettysburg, July 2, 1863, Culp's Hill and the North End of the Battlefield (El Dorado Hills, CA: Savas Beatie, 2023), xix.