History of Woodford County Kentucky United States of America

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Napoleon Bonaparte Buford, soldier, was born in Woodford county, Ky., Jan. 13, 1807. He was graduated from West Point in 1827, studied law at Harvard by permission of the government, was assistant professor of natural and experimental philosophy at West Point, 1834-35, and resigned from the army in 1835. He was employed by the state of Kentucky as civil engineer; engaged in the iron business, and became a banker and railroad president in Illinois. He entered the Union army in 1861 as colonel of the 27th Illinois volunteers; was present at the engagement at Belmont, Mo., Nov. 7, 1861; occupied Columbus, Ky., in March, 1862; took Union city, was in command of the garrison at Island 10 after that fort was captured, and was present at Fort Pillow, April, 1862. April 15, 1862, he was promoted brigadier-general, was present at the siege of Corinth, September, 1862; the battle of Corinth, October 3 and 4, 1862; the siege of Vicksburg, 1863; was stationed in command at Cairo, Ill., from March to September, 1863, and from Sept. 12, 1863 to March 9, 1865, at Helena, Ark. He was brevetted major-general of volunteers, March 13, 1865, and was mustered out of the volunteer service the following August. He served as special U. S. Indian commissioner in 1868, having been appointed in 1867 by the government to inspect the Union Pacific railroad, and served until the road was completed in 1869. He died March 28, 1883.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

John Buford, soldier, was born in Woodford county, Ky., March 4, 1826. He was the half brother of Gen. Napoleon Bonaparte Buford, and was graduated from West Point in 1848. As lieutenant of the 1st dragoons he was in active service in the expedition against the Sioux in 1855; at Bluewater, Kan., in 1856-57, and in Utah in 1857-58; was promoted to the rank of major in 1861, and attached to the corps of the inspector-general. In 1862 he was for a month on the staff of General Pope in the army of Virginia, and on July 27, 1862, was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general. commanding a brigade of cavalry in General Hooker's army during the North Virginia campaign. He took part in the engagement at Madison Court House, August 9; pursued Jackson's army across the Rapidan, August 12; was present at Kelley's Ford, Thoroughfare Gap, and Manassas, being wounded in the last-named battle. During the Maryland campaign, as chief of cavalry of the Army of the Potomac, he was present at South Mountain, September 14, and at Antietam, September 17, where he acted in place of General Stoneman on McClellan's staff. He commanded the reserve cavalry brigade under Stoneman, and did gallant service at Fredericksburg. Dec. 13, 1862; in Stoneman's raid, May, 1863, and Beverly Ford, June 9, 1863. He was chief of the cavalry division of the Army of the Potomac and was present at all the principal engagements, including Gettysburg, where he began the attack; Wolf's Hill, and Round Top, and the pursuit of the enemy to Warrenton. He was conspicuous at Culpeper and in driving the Confederates across the Rapidan, when he was obliged to cut his way in order to rejoin the army, which was on the north side of the Rappahannock. In 1863 he was assigned to the command of the cavalry of the army of the Cumberland, and was commissioned major-general of volunteers, the commission being placed in his hands a few minutes before his death, which occurred at Washington, D. C., Dec. 16, 1863.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Thomas Alexander Marshall, jurist, was born in Woodford county, Ky., Jan. 15, 1794; son of Senator Humphrey and Mary (Marshall) Marshall. He was graduated from Yale in 1815, was admitted to the bar and practised in Frankfort, Ky. He was married Nov. 26, 1816, to Eliza Price, granddaughter of Col. Thomas Hart and a niece of Henry Clay. He removed to Paris, Ky., in 1819; was a representative in the state legislature, 1827-28; a Whig representative in the 22d and 23d congresses, 1831-35; judge of the court of appeals, 1835-36; professor of law in Pennsylvania university, 1836-49; a representative in the state legislature, 1863-65, and chief justice of the court of appeals, 1866-67. The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred on him by Yale in 1866. He is the author of Kentucky Reports (24 vols.). He retired from the bench in 1867 and died in Louisville, Ky., April 17, 1871.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Eli Long, soldier, was born in Woodford county, Kentucky, June 16, 1837; son of Eli and Margaret Long. He was graduated from the military school, Frankfort, Ky., in 1855; was appointed from civil life, 2d lieutenant, 1st U.S. cavalry, June 27, 1856, and served in the Indian campaigns of 1857-61. He was promoted 1st lieutenant, March 1, and captain, May 24, 1861, and was assigned to the 4th U.S. cavalry. He served in the army of the west and participated in the operations leading to and including the battle of Stone's River, Tenn., Dec. 31, 1862, to Jan. 3, 1863. He was commissioned colonel of the 4th Ohio cavalry, Feb. 23, 1863, and took part in the Tullahoma campaign, June 24 to July 3, 1863. He commanded the 2d division, 2d brigade of cavalry at the battle of Chickamauga, Sept. 19 and 20, 1863; was in the Chattanooga campaign, Nov. 23-27, 1863, and in northern Alabama until June 6, 1864, when he served in the Atlanta campaign until its close, Sept. 18, 1864. He was promoted brigadier-general, Aug. 18, 1864. He commanded the 2d division of the cavalry corps in Wilson's raid through Alabama and Georgia from March 22 to April 20, 1865, and commanded the military district of New Jersey, 1865-66. He was brevetted major for gallantry in the battle of Farmington, Tenn., Oct. 7, 1862; lieutenant-colonel for the defense of Knoxville, Tenn., Dec. 3, 1863; colonel for the battle of Lovejoys' Station, Ga., Aug. 21, 1864, brigadier-general, March 13, 1865, for the battle of Selma, Ala.; major-general, March 13, 1865, for gallant and meritorious services in the field during the war, and major-general of volunteers, March 13, 1865, for gallant and meritorious services in action. He was wounded four times during the war, receiving a severe injury to his head at the battle of Selma, Ala. He was mustered out of the volunteer service, Jan. 15, 1866, and was retired with the rank of major-general, Aug. 16, 1867, by reason of wounds in line of duty, but was reduced to the rank of brigadier-general through the operation of the act of March 3, 1875, when he was again retired. He married, Sept. 5, 1865, Jane I. Lane, and after his retirement resided in Plainfield, N.J., he died in New York city, Jan. 5, 1903.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Woodford County Kentucky

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