{⋆★⋆} BG Floyd, John B.

John Buchanan Floyd​

Born: June 1, 1806

Birth Place: Blacksburg, Virginia

Father: John Floyd 1783 – 1837

(Buried: Lewis Family Cemetery, Sweet Springs, West Virginia)​

Mother: Letitia Preston 1779 – 1852

(Buried: Lewis Family Cemetery, Sweet Springs, West Virginia)​

Wife: Sarah Preston 1802 – 1879

(Buried: Sinking Spring Cemetery, Abingdon, Virginia)​

Education:

1826: Graduated from South Carolina College​

Occupation before War:

Attorney in Virginia and Helena, Arkansas​

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Cotton Planter in Virginia​

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1847 – 1849: Member of Virginia State House of Delegates

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1849 – 1852: Governor of Virginia​

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1853: Member of Virginia State House of Delegates​

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1857 – 1860: United States Secretary of War Department​

Civil War Career:

1861: Major General of Provisional Army of Virginia​

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1861 – 1862: Brigadier General of Confederate Army Infantry​

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1861: Wounded in the arm during the Battle of Carnifex Ferry​

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1862: Participated in the Battle of Fort Donelson

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1862: Relieved of command in the Confederate Army​

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1862 – 1863: Major General of Virginia State Militia​

Died: August 26, 1863

Place of Death: Abingdon, Virginia

Age at time of Death: 57 years old

Cause of Death: Not Known

Burial Place: Sinking Spring Cemetery, Abingdon, Virginia

 

[Pollaco]

He resigned as Secretary of War on Dec. 29, 1860 after Buchanan refused to order Anderson's garrison back to Fort Moultrie. His "participation" in Fort Donelson consisted of his abandoning the garrison with his troops aboard a few river steamers.

 

[Rank and File]

Floyd, as Secretary of War, alledgedly authorized the shipments of armaments to Southern arsenals prior to the outbreak, knowing that they were needed by the South. His 'performance' at Donelson is infamous.

 

[Pollaco]

Jefferson Davis relieved Floyd of his commission on March 11, 1862 without the benefit of a formal hearing. In other words he was fired.

 

[gentlemanrob]

Happy Birthday Brig. General John B. Floyd! Salutes remembering General Floyd on his birthday.

 

[Pollaco]

The book "Who Was Who in the Civil War" calls "him one of the greatest rogues to serve in high position in both the U.S. and Confederate governments"....

 

[GwilymT]

If there was ever a man deserving of the title Traitor, it is this man.

 

[Pollaco]

One thing not listed in his pre war career was that somewhere in the fifties before his "Secretary of War era" Floyd was part owner of a newspaper , the Abington Democrat. I don't know if it went broke or what but when Floyd's partner died the paper was sold at auction.

 

[Pollaco]

He blamed the Confederate loss at the battle of Carnifex Ferry on General Henry Wise for not coming to his aid. The two feuded about this and an aide to Wise (Alexander Mathews) wrote "I am satisfied that each of them would be highly gratified to see the other annihilated."

 

[gentlemanrob]

Happy (Wednesday) Birthday Brig. General John B. Floyd! Salutes remembering General Floyd on his birthday week.

 

[Pollaco]

He was relieved of his commission by Jefferson Davis on March 11, 1862, without any formal hearing.

 

[danny]

http://scdb.swem.wm.edu/index.php?p=collections/findingaid&id=7497&q=Japan&rootcontentid=152738

John Buchanan Floyd Papers, 1831-1862

Item 2: Gen. Hardee, Bowling Green, Ky. to Floyd, n. p., 10 Feb. 1862
Is sending special messenger 1 p. ALS
Item 3: Samuel Cooper, AIG's Office, Richmond, to Floyd, Chattanooga, March 14, 1862-Transmitting of letter from the Sec of War. 1 p. ALS
Item 4: William Preston, Decatur, Ga. [?], to Gen Floyd, Chattanooga, 16 March 1863 [sic] 1862
Requests Floyd to prepare a report of his activities from the time he was left in command at Nashville until he arrived at Murfreesboro. This letter published in War of the Rebellion. 3 pp. ALS
Item 5: Charles James Faulkner, Lynchburg, Va., to Gen Floyd, 3 June 1862
Concerns the war in the Valley of Va & the desire of Capt Joel W. Flood of Appomattox County to raise a Co. 2 pp. ALS.
Item 6: Allen Taylor Caperton, Union, Monroe Co., Va. [W. Va.], to Maj. Gen Floyd., 17 June 1862
Recommends Jacob Osborne of Monroe County, lately a Lt in a volunteer Co, to Floyd's consideration 1 p. ALS Including an ANS from A.A. Chapman, n. p., n. d., concurring with the above recommendation 1 p
Item 7: Augustus Alexandria Chapman, Union, Monroe County, Va., to Gen Floyd, n. p., 17 June 1862
Recommendation of superior nature of Col John M. Rowan; gossip about the failures of Heth's command following the battle of Lewisburg, Va. in 1862
Item 8: Roger Atkinson Pryor, Richmond to Gen Floyd, n. p., 24 June 1862
Concerning an introduction of Capt Davis 1 p. ALS

 

[ErnieMac]

In the book Grant Invades Tennessee by Timothy B. Smith's the author's account of Floyd's role at Fort Donelson demonstrates Floyd's incompetence. While Floyd held the command, he pretty much signed off on anything second-in-command Gideon Pillow recommended. It was Pillow that was out on the lines while Floyd was pretty much invisible.