{⋆★⋆} BG Buford, Abraham

Abraham Buford​

Born: January 18, 1820

Birthplace: Woodford County, Kentucky

Father: William Buford 1781 – 1848

Mother: Frances Walker Kirtley 1787 – 1848

Wife: Amanda Harris 1824 – 1879

(Buried: Lexington Cemetery, Lexington, Kentucky)​

Children:

William Abraham Buford 1848 – 1872​

(Buried: Lexington Cemetery, Lexington, Kentucky)​

Education:

1841: Graduated from West Point Military Academy – (51st​ in class)​

Occupation:

1841 – 1842: Brevet 2nd​ Lt. United States Army, 1st​ Dragoons​

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1842 – 1846: 2nd​ Lt. United States Army, 1st​ Dragoons​

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1846 – 1854: 1st​ Lt. United States Army, 1st​ Dragoons​

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1854: Captain, United States Army, 1st​ Dragoons​

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1854: Resigned from United States Army on October 22nd​​

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1854 – 1861: Farmer in Versailles Woodford County, Kentucky​

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President of Richmond and Danville Railroad Company​

Civil War Career:

1862: Served in the Kentucky Campaign

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1862 – 1865: Brigadier General of Confederate Army, Infantry​

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1863: Participated in the Vicksburg, Mississippi Campaign​

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1863: Participated in the Battle of Champion, Mississippi​

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1864: Participated in a raid on Paducah, Kentucky​

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1864: Participated in the Battle of Brice's Crossroads, Mississippi​

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1864: Wounded during the Battle of Nashville, Tennessee​

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1865: Commander of a Cavalry Division in Alabama​

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1865: Participated in Wilson's Raid in Alabama and Georgia​

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1865: Surrendered with General Forest at Selma, Alabama​

Occupation after War:

1866 – 1884: Farmer and Horse Breeder in Versailles, Kentucky​

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1879: Kentucky State Representative

Died: June 9, 1884

Place of Death: Danville, Indiana

Cause of Death: Suicide by shooting himself in the head

Age at time of Death: 64 years old

Burial Place: Lexington Cemetery, Lexington, Kentucky

 

[Pollaco]

At 320 lbs. He was the heaviest Confederate general. You got to feel for his horse as he transferred to the cavalry later in the war. He was originally an Infantry officer in Gen. Loring's division.

 

[gentlemanrob]

Happy Birthday Brig. General Abraham Buford! Salutes remembering General Buford on his birthday.

 

[danny]

11/21/62 Tullahoma, Bragg to Gen Cooper-Gives details related to Buford's Bgde-At the time of our retrograde [end of Kentucky campaign of 1862], he had some 2500 men on the rolls. All but 800 have since deserted; consol into 1 Regt-Others would have my preference that joined us earlier & known to be efficient.

11/22/62 Richmond, A Buford to Gen Cooper-asks to be made Brig Gen-presents the muster rolls of Vols recruited by me & mustered in the CSA during the presence of Gen Bragg's army in Ky-2197 men were recruited by the authority granted me by K Smith on 9/2-of these 1622 are now in different Regts of K Smith & Marshall
K Smith said in the evacuation of Ky Buford lost many men requiring consol of the 3 partial Regts into 1.

11/24 Richmond, Grigsby late Col Ky troops to President- On 9/2 I rec'd authority to raise a Cav Regt for Buford's intended Bgde. I then recruited 7 Co's, 477 agg. Two of these were sent on dtchd duty before the evacuation of Ky & are now in M Tenn. With the other 5 Co's, I fought in the Perryville battle as part of Wheeler's command. Since the arrival in Tenn of the army the 3 fractional Regts of Col's Butler, D H Smith & Grigsby were consol into 1 Regt by K Smith throwing out 8 sets of Co officers & 2 sets of field officers.
Grigsby asks the consolidation order of K Smith's be set aside & his Co's be consol into a Lt Col's Bn with the privilege of raising it to a Regt adding unattchd Ky Cav Co's & recruits.
Jeff Davis to Sec of War-this shows an effort to raise Co's-if the Co's distributed can be collected & recruited it seems that it should be done. The org of the Bgde would make this appt practicable. Meanwhile, he might be used to inspect Marshall's Bgde if Col Jennifer has not been such

11/29 Sec of War to Gen Cooper-set aside the consol order-issue orders to reorganize the 3 Cav Regts [to hereafter be recruited to full size & constitute a Bgde to which Buford will be apptd Brig Gen

12/24/62 Bragg to Cooper-Rec'd S O #280 organizing Cav Bgde & assigning Gen A Buford to command it. Included in the Bgde is Chenault's Regt now of Morgan's command. The officers & men were raised under Morgan's authority & are now with Morgan in Ky. They swear to abandon the service rather than obey the order.

In the remainder of the command there is disharmony & over ½ have deserted. After consolidation they became contented as one command. Buford finds his position unpleasant & wants a transfer

Says this is the 2nd​ Bgde cdr appointed by the President & both have been dismal failures. I request that the field Corp cdrs select such officers based on their working knowledge.

2/16/63 Bragg's Army orders- Brig Gen A. Buford, having been ordered by the War Dept on 1/30 to report to Gen Pemberton, cdg Dept of Miss & E La, for assignment in his command, is hereby relieved of duty in this command.

 

[NFB22]

In the early days of Churchill Downs in Louisville, he was well known for some of the horses that had come from his farm in Kentucky and was very involved in horse racing.

 

[Pollaco]

His cousins John and Napolean Buford were Union Generals

 

[Pollaco]

Local legend has George Custer visiting Buford's farm, Bosque Bonita, in 1875 to buy horses for the cavalry.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

At 320 lbs. He was the heaviest Confederate general. You got to feel for his horse as he transferred to the cavalry later in the war. He was originally an Infantry officer in Gen. Loring's division.

If that was his consistent weight, it seems like he wasn't deprived of foodstuff (unless there was a genetic issue) for any considerable period during the hard campaigns.

 

[Pollaco]

His final years were not kind. He went bankrupt, his son and wife died, and his brother, Col. Thomas Buford ,was sent to an insane hospital after committing murder.The brother later escaped from the asylum.

 

[Luke Freet]

Apparently the man weighed 320 pounds. I pity his horse.