Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/50

 BUFFUM.

BUFORD.

BUFFUM, Arnold, abolitionist, was born at Smithtield, R. I., in January. 1782; son of ^^'^^. Buffum, a prominent anti-slavery advocate. His ancestors were Quakers, and had been resident in America since its early settlement. He was educated at private schools in Smithfield and Newport, R. I. ; first engaged in the manufacture of hats and afterwards in sheep-raising. He formed an intimacy with Lafayette in Paris in -1830, and on his return to America offered his services to William Lloyd Garrison to help effect the abolition of slavery. In 1832 the New England anti -slavery societj' was formed. It advocated immediate, rather than gradual aboli- tion, and its constitution was signed by WiUiam Lloyd Garrison, Ai-nold Buffum and thirteen others. He was its second president and its first lecturer. He was an active temperance worker, and late in life a prominent member of the Re- publican party. He was married at Newport, R. I., in 1804, to Rebecca Gould, a descendant of Daniel Gould, who was whipped on Boston com- mon in the seventeenth century for being a ^aker. He died in Eagleswood, N. J., in March, 18.-)9.

BUFFUM, Edward Gould, journalist, was born in Rhode Island in 1S2U; son of Arnold Buffum, philanthropist. Upon the outbreak of the Mexican war he resigned as reporter on the New York Herald, joined Colonel Stevenson's New York volunteers as lieutenant, and in 1846 served in southern California and on the Pacific coast of Mexico. At the close of the war he settled in California, and was an early explorer of the gold fields. He became the editor-in- chief of t\ie Alta California i^pon its establish- ment, and served one term in the state legisla- ture. In 1859 he resumed his connection with the New York Herald, becoming a special foreign correspondent with headquarters at Paris. His History of Stevenson's Regiment is a A-ivid description of the life of a California pioneer, and he published besides, Six Months in the Gold Mines (1850) ; ^4 Pocket Guide for Americans going to Europe. (1859), and Sights and Sensations in France, Germany and Switzer- land:' He died in Paris, France, Oct. 24, 1867.

BUFORD, Abraham, soldier, was born in Virginia. He distinguished himself in the early part of the Revolutionary war, and was ap- pointed colonel of the 11th Virginia regiment, May 16, 1778. In the spring of 1780 he was sent with his command to relieve General Lincoln at Charleston, S. C, but hearing that the Ameri- cans had surrendered the place he began his return march. He was overtaken by a force of seven hundred cavalry and mounted infantrj-, under command of Colonel Tarieton, at AVaxhaw Creek, S. C. May 29, 1780. Though liaving but four

hundred infantry and a small cavalry force, Buford refused to surrender, and was preparing for defence when the British fell upon the Con- tinental troops, and giving no quarter killed nearly the entire force. Colonel Buford died in Scott county. Ky. , June 29, 1833.

BUFORD, Abraham, soldier, was born in Kentucky about 1820. He was graduated at West Point in 1841. He served as lieutenant of 1st dragoons on frontier duty in Kansas and Iowa, and was engaged in the war with Mexico, winning at Buena Vista the brevet rank of captain. From 1848 to 1851 he was stationed in New Mexico, and in 1852 and 1853 was on duty at the cavalry school for practice in Carlisle, Pa. In 1853 and 1854 he served at the Harrodsburg branch military asylum, Kentucky, and on Oct. 22. 1854, resigned from the army, and retired to his farm near Versailles, Woodford coimty, Ky. At the outbreak of the civil war he joined the Confederate army and became a brigadier- general. He died by his own hand, June 9, 1864.

BUFORD, John, soldier, was born in Wood- ford 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 dur- ing 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 IMaryland campaign, as chief of cavalry of the Army of the Potomac, he was present at South Mountain, September 14, and at Antietam, Sep- tember 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 cavah-y division of the Army of the Potomac and was present at all the principal engage- ments, including Gettysburg, where he began the attack ; Wolfs Hill, and Round Top, and the pursuit of the eneiny to Warrenton. He was conspicuous at Culpeper and in driving the Con- federates across the Rapidan. when he was obliged to cut his way in order to rejoin the