Buford, John

Buford, John

(1826–63) Union soldier; born in Woodford County, Ky. An 1848 West Point graduate, he commanded a cavalry division during the Gettysburg campaign. On July 1, 1863, with a single brigade of dismounted troopers, Buford parried a heavy Confederate attack long enough to allow Union infantry to reach the battlefield. He died of illness later in the year.