Who was the Union General John Buford in the Civil War? [Notably in Michael Shaara's novel"The Killer Angels"]

Question

Why does Michael Shaara devote the early portion of his book to Gen. Buford? Describe Buford's background, military experience, and strong opinions. What were his responsibilites to Meade's army and describe his activites on July 1. What were his important contributions to the battle and explain why he receives so little credit and recognition in history.

I WILL GIVE POINTS TO MOST HELPFUL, ACCURATE, AND DETAILED EXPLANATION! ANY HELP IS APPRECIATED!!

Answer 1

From my understanding of both the movie 'Gettysburg' and the book 'Killer Angels', John Bufford was in charge of the Federal Cavalry - the 'eyes and ears' of the Union Army under the command of General George Meade.

What started out as a raiding party by Confederate general Heth on the town looking for supplies, ran into John Bufford's brigades. Instead of retreating, Bufford secured the main roads and held off attacks by Heth's own brigades until reinforcements of the main Union army could arrive.

Bufford's main historical contribution to what became the battle of Gettysburg was the prevention of the Confederate army of securing the hills above Gettysburg. While General Lee wanted to destroy the Union army at Gettysburg, Bufford's securing of the hills forced Lee to attack the Union army on the hills - one of Lee's greatest tactical mistakes.

From the historical point of view, Gettysburg was much less about tactics of Bufford and was more centred on the greater vision that the decisiveness of the battle determined the outcome of the war - especially Lincoln's later "Gettysburg Address' and the freeing of the slaves.

There are also those who see the Confederate failure at Gettysburg not so much on the brillance of Bufford, but the failure of both generals Yule to secure those hills and of the Confederate cavalry commander Jeb Stuart to scout and monitor the progress of the Union army.

Historians are also much more likely to paint the picture that the Union victory over the Confederacy was also not so much a question of tactics but of the Industrial North overcoming the weakness of the Southern states.

Bufford, as a cavalry colonel, also takes a backseat to the greater historical military figures of the conflict - ie Lee, Pickett, Stonewall Jackson, Grant etc - even the movie which uses the focus of the Maine brigades under Colonel Joshua Chamberlain does little justice to what Bufford achieved on the first day at Gettysburg.

But i think that Bufford, much like the Confederate general Longstreet, has been underestimated by history for the contributions they made to military tactics. While historians focus on the 'great men' of history, Bufford was one of those that made the victory possible.

Answer 2

John Buford, Jr. (March 4, 1826 – December 16, 1863) was a Union cavalry officer during the American Civil War, with a prominent role at the start of the Battle of Gettysburg.Buford was born in Woodford County, Kentucky, but was raised in Rock Island, Illinois, from the age of eight. His father was a prominent Democratic politician in Illinois and a political opponent of Abraham Lincoln. His family had a long military tradition. John Jr.'s grandfather, Colonel Abraham Buford (of the Waxhaw Massacre) and great uncle served in Virginia regiments during the American Revolutionary War. His half brother, Napoleon Bonaparte Buford, would become a major general in the Union Army. His cousin, Abraham Buford, would become a Cavalry brigadier general in the Confederate States Army. John Jr. attended Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, for one year. He graduated in the 1848 class of the United States Military Academy and was commissioned a brevet second lieutenant in the 1st U.S. Dragoons, transferring the next year to the 2nd U.S. Dragoons. He served in Texas and the Southwest, fought against the Sioux, served on peacekeeping duty in Bleeding Kansas, and in the Utah War in 1858. He was stationed at Fort Crittendon, Utah, from 1859 to 1861.[1][2] He was a student of the works of General John Watts de Peyster, who was a strong advocate of making the skirmish line the new line of battle

Answer 3

I would agree with Brian on most points, except i think Buford's contribution on day 1 of the battle was to delay Heth's Rebel Division until Union General Reynold's 1st Corps was able to arrive on the scene. While Buford's cavalry did contribute to keeping the high ground in Union hands, it was Rebel General Ewell's failure to follow-up his victory that kept Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill in Union hands.

Answer 4

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