Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-06-29
DECLARESBUFORD
SAVEDTHE NORTH
AT GREAT BATTLE
Gallant Rock Island Cavalry Leader
Played Important Part in Gettys.
burg Engagement
SELECTED FIELD OF STRUGGLE
J. Fl. Gardner Has Interesting Article
From Old Paper Telling of
Military Genius.

claims saved the day for the north at
Gettysburg.
The Buford family from an indus
trial, social and military standpoint,
was one of the most important in Rock
Island in the old days. The local post
of G. A r. is named after the gallant
cavalry leader.
Mr. Gardner is especially proud of
an article which appeared in The
Military News, published at Chicago
under date of Aug. Il, 1895. 1t fol-
lows: The recent unwilling Of a mon
ument to Major General John Buford
on the historic field Of Gettysburg
called forth many descriptive articles
and paragraphs. in some of which the
dashing Rock Island cavalryman is
spoken of as a Kentucky soldier The
false impression this created has
called forth a letter from Colonel ".
S. Bracket, formerly of Rock Island,
which appears in the Peoria Journal.
This letter contains the clearest eX-
PLANTATION vet written of General Blu
fords part in changing the current OF
history by forcing the COnfederates.t to
fight at Gettysburg instead Of submit
ting to the plans of General Mead, his
commander-in-chie which seemed to
him fruitful of disaster Rock Island
ers all regard the memory of General
John BufOrd as a most precious herl-
tage and our veterans have seen to ii
that his name is not only the first on
the sculptured roll Of names on the
monument in honor Of the dead SOL
diers of Rock Island county, but that
Post 243 of the Grand Army OF the Re-
public bears it as its own.
Bracket Gives Tribute.
General Bracket writes: John Blu
ford, if he had any home outside of the
regular army, lived at Rock Island,
Ill There his boyhood was passed
and there his father and family all
lived He was appointed a cadet al
West Point from Rock Island in 1874
and graduated in 1S48 when he was
assigned to the Second United States
Dragons. His father, well known as
old Colonel John Buford, was a prom
inent citizen of Rock Island and at one
time was postmaster of that city. His
two surviving brothers, Captain Thorn
as ]. BufOrd and James NJ. Buford live
IN Rock Island today The city of Rocl
Island is justly proud of the name anC
fame of General John Buford, for ht
was her son.
There are traditions in Rock Is
land today of the boy John BuforC
scampering through the streets anC
over the bluffs of the town on bare
back horse that no other boy in the
town could ride He was bor-
horseman and his oldest brother, the
late General n B. Buford, has often
told the writer stories of his younger
brother Johns hairbreadth escapes as
a dare devil rider when boy The
Buford family came originally from
Kentucky but General John Buford's
father was one of the early settlers OF
Rock Island and was all his life one oil
the foremost citizens of that place.
After Gettysburg and the pursuit
OF Lees army, General Buford, ex-
hausted and worn out from hard field
service and constant exposure, grew
so weak and i'll that he was removed
TO Washington where he could gel
better medical treatment than in thu
field. AS death approached he longed
once more to see the mighty river OF
the west, and those wooded bluffs
above the town where his boyhood
days were passed and where were the
graves of his father and kindred. He
requested to be carried back to die or
the soil Of that state which had sent
him to West Point, and where was the
home of his family But it was not tC
be and General Buford died in Wash
ing, Dec. 16, 1868. His grave is where
the historic hills of the Hudson loOR
down upon the scenes Of his cadet life
at West Point, but the city and state OF
his boyhood claim him as their own
son and as such revere his memory.
Matchless Cavalry Leader.
"'Of his great and glorious services
at Gettysburg, history now gives him
that due credit which Of rights be,
longs to him. To say that he made the
field whereup the federal army won
the greatest victory of the war is but
to state one fact in the career of this
almost matchless leader of cavalry
Before Gettysburg, General Meade had
no intention Of fighting on that field
He had selected line Of battle in the
rear of that position along Pipe creek
Buford's division of cavalry was sent
out to observe the movements of the
advancing enemy.
Ion June %, General Buford rode
over and carefully observed the coun-
try around Gettysburg. With his fine
military genius he saw the great nat
ural strength Of Cemetery Ridge and
its prolongations, which were after
wards held by our army in the great
battle. He saw, too, that the town OF
Gettysburg was the center OF many
roads, diverging from this common
center like the spokes of a wheel His
scouts advised him Of what seemed
like immediate concentration of the
scattered corps Of the confederate ar
my at or near the town, and he be-
lieyed the occupation of the town and
the adjoining heights by them would
result in disaster TO our army With
his force of less than 4 900 cavalry and
without orders, but exercising that dis
erection which in so great an emery
ency was rightfully his, he determined
to prevent a great disaster TO the union
cause and compel our army to move
forward and occupy the heights OF
Gettysburg before the enemy could oc-
cupy them.
Had Rare Foresight
This was the day before the first
DAYS battle and General Buford ex-
pressed his views to General Deyin.
one OF his brigade commanders, who
disagreed with his superior and said
he thought he, with his single brigade.
could take care of all the enemy that
would come in the next "A hours, Cen
era Butord then said: no, | teft