They are sorely mistaken. And the writing on the photo is clearly "Ro." Not Benj. Or Ben.
The label in the album DOES, INDEED say "Ro" or "R" with an ornamental loop (note the same loop on the following "M") but it was written in pen and ink by someone who owned the album at one time. I believe it's mis-labeled. It's a picture of a man in a general's uniform. Who it is, I can't say, and I didn't identify him to the archivists. They identified him to me. I don't know who the general is, or whether he's Ben, but he's not Col. "Black Bob" McCulloch.
If you will pull up a photo of Ben....well, you'll see how far off that idea is.
Captain Lewis Kirk of Biffle's Cavalry was hunted down and murdered by the same gang that caused Colonel Jake Biffle to leave the company as a home guard. They lived in an area we call the Union Belt along the Tennessee River where many counties were divided or voted to stay in the Union. After the war, Colonel Biffle and others had to move as well as his former slaves and they stayed a short time near Tupelo Mississippi before heading for Texas. However, Colonel Biffle had no clue a Yankee was on his path all along and in December 1876, he was shot by this man. He died January 2 1877. For many the war ended in 1865; for some it never ended. Colonel Jacob Barnett Biffle was a Mexican American War veteran of two tours and quickly organized at company then battalion at the outbreak of the Civil War. He and John Hunt Morgan did not care for each other for in a planned ambush on Camp Dick Robertson in the early part of the war, Morgan hid his men waiting to ambush the Yanks as they left the fort. Colonel Jake, at a full gallop, led his men right past Morgan and defeated the fort. This characteristic of the colonel was common long before Forrest ever rose to the rank of colonel. Even some of Biffle's men attributed Forrest's success to following Biffle's lead. Biffle was usually sent out on his own while Forrest's other commanders remained within the main body. Biffle, in a large way, was why the first West Tennessee Raid was successful. The majority of the Federals were chasing Biffle and thinking he was Forrest. That's how Biffle ended up at my home on Dec 28 1862 when he hit the rear of Colonel John Fuller's Ohio Brigade. Four men of the 39th Ohio Infantry are buried in our family cemetery and this delay on Fuller is likely why he arrived late at the Battle of Parkers Crossroads. As many know Biffle covered the retreat of Forrest there. Yes I am passionate about Biffle. I knew four of his grandsons and I recognized his courage as down right dangerous. They knew about their ancestor and how effective he was in the war. His men knew. But, like many of the heroes, they are overshadowed by their commanders. EX: Napoleon was not a one man army.
Gosh, I would enjoy the basics! One never knows where the next great piece of a puzzle will come from.
Anything you have would be awesome. I had an uncle that served in this unit. Thanks.
Kentuckian Abraham Buford was the cousin of Union cavalryman John Buford and Union general Napoleon Bonaparte Buford. He was a West Point graduate who distinguished himself in the Mexican War as a captain of dragoons and also very much in the Civil War. He had tried to stay out of it, as his state had tried, but finally went with the Confederacy. He was one of Bragg's commanders during his invasion of Kentucky, and later served during the Vicksburg campaign. He distinguished himself at Brice's Crossroads and during Hood's retreat from Nashville. He was under Forrest's command from Brice's Crossroads to Selma and was much respected by his general.
Before the war, Buford was well known as a horse breeder and co-owner of the famous racer Lexington. Lexington was confiscated during the war and became Gen Sherman's prize. Sherman rode him when he entered Atlanta and again at the Grand Review in Washington at the end of the war, but Lexington was blind. He had set many records during his career and sired many exceptional offspring, one of which was Cincinnati, Ulysses Grant's favorite horse.
Buford, after the war, suffered severe personal losses including his Bosque Bonita horse ranch, his son and his wife. His brother Thomas, a judge, murdered another judge and was committed to an insane asylum. A few years later he escaped and there was a family upset. Buford went to visit his nephew. While in Indiana visiting Thomas' son, Buford committed suicide. He is buried in Lexington, Kentucky.
Bringing the