The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-09-20
BUCKNER e M'CLELLAND.
HOW fHE TORNER CLEARLY OUT
UITTED THE LiTTtR.
NEGOTIATIONS About kentucky-Generai
Euckner's Southern sympnthies, Which
Carried Him Into Confederate Army.

dld not secede. and he was early driven
from her borders by the advance - the
Unlo.. armies AZ seasons ne bore con-
splcoous part for his cause IN Shaping
military events. -,,
Al the outbreak OF the war, Buckner,
thea about thirty-eight years Ola. AZ lne
very zenith OF his powers, was undonVt-
edy the most influential southern Ilshts-
man In his native State OF kentucky' Dy
reason Of his military edpcation aAu eA-
perience, his wealth, and nlSh aOtlai ,t Soii
nections. lie nad graduated from Ness
Point in 1874. number II, IN a class OF
TWENTY-FIVE cadets. Besides Gems. Han
cock. Plesanton, and Frost, ms Si'.SS
mates, Buckner had as associates III llIc
Gclcemy. in the classes above ana Dei9W
him. many lads who afterwards dlstin-
guished then selves on both sidcs-C. .
Grant. Mcclellan. kirby Smlih, 1871,
Pickett Wilcox, Franklin, Porter bSluy
smith, Steele. Rufus Ingalls, ana otneIs
OF lesser note. Grant ana buchher WeIe
together three years at West Point, Grant
haring graduated IN the class OF 1888.
Buckner tool part In the Mexican war
lar infantry. and by his bravery anu anu
soldierly qualities made an ileUacedYie
impression upon his brother officers. lie
was wounded az the battle OF Shuru-
busco. I'm 1852 he was made captain
AMI ccmmisslry of subsistence. q position
much sought after by line officers. bGt
army lifo I'm time OF peace ala not sun
tho ardent temncrament or buckneF tiiI
o.
OF March $500. For two or three years
thereafter ne was engaged IN important
business enterprises at chicago buIlnS
this period not having lost MS interest IN
tho military professor, no comnecleu M nii liz
self with thu Illinois State Militia service
and by appointment became Adldtant-
General OF tho State. But about Two
years prior 10 the war Buckner return
al 10 Kentucky and settled upon MS es-
tato near Louisville. Here he resum-
eI his military diversions by entering
uuon the organization Of the KENTUCKY
State Militia. "a cCreeniSd employ iicnl III
which he was en- .nently SUGGEST VI, .t', ~,
bv making himself very popular with 4n
infueutfal class OF his fellow-ctizens., II,
1851 be had become Inspector, eler 49,. ~.
the state, and COMMANDED the hv''0
Guards. a military oreaiila,lVi, NJ ~ Kin
81 mainly Of the young bioodS OF me uiv'
erasi region whose sympothle5 were az
most wholly with the Soutn: ,.....,..,
These auteccdeats the critical sllual,"H
OF affairs which created n.tl .oi MIN
tfnd of is'ents his surroundings, VIII
TIA additional attraction ot St1lNli,-
p.eserce and a magnetic address haue
lgl.kn at tho beginning OF ioyl ~
important rtrsOn IN keutIe
H. ter,sf. vcrc largely al the NOrtn, Nul
bo tas of.rceod 20 cOcrcive measures. ana
believed fluly I'm the doctrine 81 Siale
rights. His course throughout Wa ,V.--
slstent and honest To use a thieauu-iV
phrase be had the courage or DIS tVu-
vfcffons. HIS attitude was well under
stood be- the partisauS Of both SIDES ana
as the clouds Of civil war thlckened the
ewes Of tho X ntucky seces ,l1il7l5 VIM
Intended 10 fight We're turned to"aIg
buckuer as their natural chief Anu
their chief no became; thousands or hen
tuckl rs followed him out OF the Union
who would doubles. have remained al
homo but for his example. The great ma
j0rity Of Kentuckians wished 10 remain
at peace IN the Union. but the poweiiul
influence OF Buckner. Breckenridge, Mar
shall, and others came near taking tie
State out lie Was asslduolsly co .rted
by tho Southern leaders.
That Buckuers standing was nlsh Is
attcsted by the great esteem ln which he
was held by all lis old military asso-
ciates OF Northern procliiites who be-
came familiar with him at West Point,
and sui sequenty in the OIL army. 30
fayorably vas he regarded az q probes
s0nal soldier that strong Efforts were
made 10 bring him over The temptations
held cut 20 him were great enough 10
shake any man OF less strength than De.
mcnt itself. made advances 10 iorcStali
Buckncr's evident intention TO precili-
Among tho urrrli ted archives IN the War
Department - "a telegram sent early I'm
lSGl 10y burnside 20 Buckner, adiuring
him 10 take no steps until Pc could ne
seen personally. Il have lust come from
the President" teiegraphed burnside. in
dioating that Mr. Lincoln was willing 90
do something 20 hold such man 20 the
Mon c. USE What that something was
IS not certainly known. but Il is said
TO have been ccmmi sion ds General IN
the rapidly gathering armies OF the
North. although there was tncn no lack
OF material for general officers Mc'lel-
Ian appears 20 have thought that ne was
a man Of capacity and promise IN such a
crisis. and did AN en- his power % prevent
Buckner going aetray. But he could not
be sWeryed from his purpose.
AurOpOs Of these interesting efforts 10
secure the adhesion Of this brilliant man
to the Union cause, is an episode that
occurred while kentucky was posing IN
the anomalous attitude Of armed neutrali-
u between the two sections during the
spring and sim mor or 1851. position as
sumed largely through Buckner's inhu-
cnce and advice. This condition of neu-
trauty. II observed by the North. was
held 20 be very advantageous 70 the
South. for 10 WIS "a WeI-tst ablished fact
that. UuiOuist Influence predOminated in
Kentucky and controlled tho legislature.
which made 10 a physical impO~sibility
~ vote tho state out OF the Union. The
next best thing for the COnfedcrlcy. Of
course. was 20 prevent its being utilized
by the Ioderdls. But doubtless the great
desideratum with Buckner and the other
KorCucky leaders was the safety Of Ken
lucky herself and immunity from the de-
vasiatiOns Of war.
George h. Mcclellan. ono OF Buckner's
West Point chums. had been made by
President Lincoln a Major-General In the
regular army. and placed On command
Of tho Department Of the Ohio. which
was soon enlarged 10 include Indiana. 10
linOis. Missouri and other Territory His
neaduuartors were at Cincinnati where
he had previously resided as supcrintend-
ent or The Ohio and Mississippi railway.
Mcclellan was a very attentive observer
OF the progress OF events on the south
side OF the Ohio. and app .arcd 20 regret
state ~ neutrality which prevented
him from occupy.n8 saAcat points on
the opposite side Tor the defence ~ Gin
clnnau. In letter 20 the N>r Depart
ment on May 10. 1861 Mcclellan writes
that 'the Governor Of Kentucky (liagof-
ilui. is a traitor. and Buckuer d. under
his Influence. Sc that it Is necessary 90
watch them" Again. Il confess that 7
think an our calculations should Doe based
on the superstition that Kentucky viii se-
code. everything points in that direction"
However, Mcclellan soon changed HE
views on this point. for we find him writ
ing on May 18th IN this strain: "The
Union men OF Kentucky express a firm
determination 20 fight ~ or Yesterday
Garrett Davis told me we viii remain in
tho Union by voting II we can by fight.
mg m We must. and II we cannot holt
our own we will call on the general Gov
eminent for aid" Further on b.. said.
Il have strong hopes Kentucky Will te
main ia the Union. and the nofr frvOra-
bic feature OF the WI ie niIf'er Is that
the Union men are now reaay O. abau.
don the position OF armed neItrallty and
enter heart and soul into ths contest un
our side
Buckntr had not yet jo.nci the con-
feleracy. but meanwhile nell close rrla.
tons with Gov. MagOtin. whose milf
tary representative and adviser BE- WAS
throughout this trying SUN nar In fact,
Is ! have said, Bu6kner was he cher