LIEUT.-GEN. SIMON B. BUCKNER.

CHAPTER LXXII.

Services and promotions in the United States Army.-His connection with the "State Guard" of Kentucky.-Memorandum of a conference with George B. McClellan, concerning Kentucky's neutrality.-He refuses military service with either of the belligerents.-His conversion to the service of the Confederate States. Commissioned a Brigadier-General.-Captured at Fort Donelson.-Running the gauntlet of Northern mobs.-A cutting remark to a Federal officer.Released, and takes command in Hardee's corps.-His disagreement with Gen. Bragg concerning the field of Perryville.-In command at Mobile.--Transferred to East Tennessee.-Important assistance in the Chickamauga campaign.-Another disagreement between Bragg and his officers.-Gen. Buckner transferred to the Trans-Mississippi, and commands the district of Louisiana.-Included in Gen. E. Kirby Smith's surrender.-A peculiarity of Gen. Buckner's character.-His high moral courage.

SIMON BOLIVAR BUCKNER was born April 1, 1823, in Hart county, Kentucky. He entered West Point in 1840, and having completed his term of education there, was assigned as brevet second-lieutenant to the 2d regiment of infantry, joining his regiment at Sackett's Harbour, New York. In 1845, he was ordered to duty as assistant instructor of ethics at West Point, whence he was relieved on his own application, in May, 1846, and ordered to the Rio Grande. He took part in the most important incidents of the Mexican War, and was brevetted a first lieutenant for gallant conduct at Cherubusco, and a captain for gallant conduct at Molino del Rey. He was detached from his regiment on its return from Mexico, and remained on duty at West Point until 1850, as assistant instructor of infantry tactics. He then rejoined his regiment in Minnesota, and was subsequently ordered to duty on the Plains, being assigned to command a military post, Fort Atkinson, on the Santa Fé route, 360 miles from the nearest settlement. He gave protection to that route with only sixty men, although at

that time the neighbouring Indian tribes-the Northern Comanches, the Kiowas, the Cheyennes and Arrapahoes—were uncertain in their disposition, if not positively hostile. In 1852, he was promoted captain in the subsistence department, and was stationed in the city of New York. He resigned his commission in the army in 1855, and subsequently settled in Louisville, Kentucky.

In 1860, he framed the bill reorganizing the militia of Kentucky, and erecting it into a State Guard, and was subsequently appointed by Governor Magoffin its commander, with the rank of Major-General, Gen. Helm being second in command. It may be said here, that to the labours and energy of these officers, was due the marked efficiency afterwards shown by the Kentucky troops in the Confederate States armies, the foundation of their discipline and expertness in arms having been laid in the camps of instruction of the State Guard. It was while performing the duties of this office that Gen. Buckner had a notable interview with Gen. McClellan, in which the Federal General agreed to respect the assumed neutral position of Kentucky, as long as the State enforced it against the Confederates. By the suggestion of the latter, Gen. Buckner visited him at his residence in Cincinnati, in June, 1861, and in the presence of a citizen of Kentucky, they held a conference as to her position and wishes. The result was a distinct verbal arrangement that Federal troops should not occupy the soil of Kentucky unless she was first invaded by Confederates; that if so invaded, Gen. Buckner should use his forces to drive back the invaders, and if he failed, or was unable to do so, then Federal troops should be sent to aid him, but should be immediately withdrawn when the invaders were repelled. Such was the agreement made by McClellan, and afterwards acknowledged and confirmed by him in an interview with Gen. Buckner, Judge Bigger and Col. Bullock, held on the 13th June, at Cairo, in Illinois. This arrangement, if faithfully observed, would have secured Kentucky's neutrality, at least for a time; but it was soon repudiated by the Federals, and Gen. McClellan himself had the hardihood to write, "I regarded Gen. Buckner's promise to drive out the Confederate troops as the only result of the interview; his letter gives his own views, not mine," as if it was possible that Gen. Buckner could have consented to such a unilateral and absurd arrangement!

Thinking the neutral position of Kentucky well taken, Gen.

Buckner, in July, 1861, resigned his command of the State Guard and determined to take no part in the war on either side. From the uncouth assurance of President Lincoln, that he would not molest the neutrality of Kentucky "as long as there were any rounds around the State, by which the rebellion would be reached," Gen. Buckner was induced to believe this neutrality might be respected. He repeatedly declined high military positions tendered him in the United States army; he equally declined the Confederate service; and averse to any employment in a war he deplored, he maintained a neutral, but attentive attitude, and waited the progress of events.

When, after the August elections of 1861, the Federal Government, seconded by a party in the State, proceeded to violate the neutrality of Kentucky, Gen. Buckner hesitated no longer to make his choice and to turn his face against the rapid advances of Federal oppression. Whatever criticism may now be bestowed upon his choice, he acted from severe and noble motives. With a large estate in the north, and valuable property on the borders of Kentucky, and the offer of high position in the Federal army, every temporal interest would have tended to induce him to join the North. But throwing these considerations aside, he for the first time, after the Federal forces had occupied Paducah, at the mouth of the Tennessee River, and after the legislature of the State had declined to enforce its neutrality declarations, tendered his services unconditionally to the Confederate States. He received the appointment of Brigadier-General on the 16th September; and under instructions from Gen. A. Sidney Johnston, occupied BowlingGreen, Kentucky, on the following day, with a force of between 4,000 and 5,000 men, without a wagon or other means of transportation in the little army. Two weeks afterwards Gen. Johnston himself assumed command, having brought with him an additional force.

Shortly thereafter followed the disaster of Fort Donelson-a sorrowful, and familiar story, but one gilded with extraordinary spirit and generosity on the part of Gen. Buckner. He had reinforced the garrison, and shared in the battles of three days. He was third in command; and yet when it was decided in council of war that further resistance was useless, he refused to escape with his seniors, and saying briefly that he "would share the fate of his

men," he chose captivity with them, whose dangers and privations he had shared on the field. Having surrendered and become a prisoner of war, he was conducted under close guard to Indianapolis, and thence to Fort Warren, in Boston Harbour. In this painful travel, he was exposed to curious and insulting mobs, and at every stage of the journey a brutal show was enforced of the distinguished prisoner.* On one of these occasions, he displayed an admirable dignity and presence of mind. The exceptionally courteous officer who accompanied him, was himself so disgusted by the scenes which were enacted by the populace, that on reaching one of the large cities on the route where it was necessary to change conveyances, he requested Gen. Buckner to throw a citizen's cloak around him in order to conceal his uniform, and thus escape obser vation from the mob. "I thank you, Colonel," replied Gen. Buckner, "but, I think it unkind that you should ask a Confederate officer to disguise himself to prevent your people from disgracing themselves."

For four months and a half Gen. Buckner endured the pangs of solitary confinement-such being the cruel penalty inflicted upon him by orders from Washington. In August, 1862, he was exchanged, and the Confederate Government at once showed appreciation of the spirit that had prompted his self-sacrifice at Donelson, and sustained him in the lonely hours of prison, by

* A Boston journal had the following account of the popular reception in that polite city of Gen. Buckner, and fellow-prisoner, Gen. Tilghman :-"The rebel Generals Simon Bolivar Buckner and Lloyd Tilghman, were immediatly sent to Fort Warren, in the harbour. It was not generally known that they were to arrive, but there was a crowd present large enough, and noisy enough, to make it decidedly unpleasant, both to the prisoners and the officers who had them in charge. They occupied a car situated in the middle of the long train. The crowd pressed round this car as soon as the Generals were discovered, and commenced hissing, groaning and howling in a manner calculated to give the occupants an impression not altogether favourable to the citizens of the 'Yankee capital.' Policemen appeared with the two Generals, and conducted them to the front of the dépot, followed by the crowd, which was rapidly swelling in numbers. The prisoners jumped into a hack in waiting there. As they drove off, the crowd amused itself by groaning vehemently for Jeff. Davis. The guard of soldiers did not leave the car in which they arrived at the dépot until the prisoners had been driven off in the hack. When they marched out into the street, some persons in the crowd which still lingered about the place were belligerently inclined. One fellow appealed to his comrade to know if they were going to let 'rebels' run loose about the streets; to which appeal one of said comrades made bold to reply that they warn't goin' ter du nuthin' er that sort.'"

promoting him to a Major-Generalship. He assumed command of a division in Hardee's Corps, then at Chattanooga, and reëntered the Western theatre of the war just in time to take part in Gen. Bragg's Kentucky campaign.

His services in this campaign were remarkable, and especially his clear perceptions of the field of Perryville showed generalship of the highest order, and might have accomplished a decisive result but for the obstinate dissent of the Commanding General from all his officers. When Gen. Bragg declined to give Buell battle on his march to Louisville, and retired to Bards. town, Gen. Buckner was detached temporarily from his division to superintend the organization of new regiments in Kentucky. He had scarcely entered upon this duty at Lexington when Buell's advance recalled him to his gallant command. He reported to Gen. Bragg at Harrodsburg, on the afternoon of the 7th October, 1862. At that time Gen. Hardee, with two divisions, was in front of the enemy at Perryville. The rest of the army-including Gen. Smith's army, and Gen. Humphrey Marshall's division-was in the immediate vicinity of Harrodsburg. The enemy were pressing Hardee heavily at Perryville, ten miles southward from Harrodsburg. They were also moving on Salvisa, about fifteen miles northwest of the same place. On reporting to Gen. Bragg, Gen. Buckner imparted to him the information which he had learned, through his secret agents, that the Federal Gen. McCook, with from 20,000 to 30,000 men, was at Macksville, ten miles west of Harrodsburg, moving to reinforce the enemy at Perryville, and urged an immediate concentration of the army at Perryville, to meet this movement. Gen. Bragg replied that he had reason to think the enemy were in heavy force in the direction of Salvisa. Gen. Buckner urged again that it would be the most natural movement for the enemy to press with his greatest force at Perryville, thus endangering our communications while covering his own; that Gen. Hardee was already heavily pressed at that point; that to meet this danger it was necessary to concentrate the entire available force; and that even if the enemy should have committed the error of sending the mass of his army towards Salvisa, it was still advisable to concentrate the army at Perryville, to overwhelm the sup posed inferiour force at that point, to free our own communica