Col. Albert Sidney Johnston, he was appointed Colonel of an Illinois regiment of volunteers for service in Utah, but the ending of the Mormon troubles prevented the regiment from seeing active service.

Returning to Kentucky in 1860, the young officer was appointed Inspector General of the State Guard with the rank of Major General. By means of camps of instruction, he formed the State Guard into a compact body of young men fit for any service on the field. In the War Between the States, many of these young men as officers in the Federal or Confederate armies, won high distinction. In 1861 General In 1861 General Buckner was in Washington and, by reason of his military education and experience in actual warfare, was tendered by Mr. Lincoln a commission as Brigadier General in the Federal army which he declined. In September, 1861, having cast his fortunes with the South, he was appointed a Brigadier General and for a time was in command of all the Kentucky troops in the Confederate service. Subsequently he was ordered with his command to Fort Donelson to reinforce the commands of Generals Pillow and Floyd, then threatened by the army under General Grant. Elsewhere in this volume is related the story of the flight of Pillow and Floyd, and of the self-sacrifice of General Buckner who, true soldier that he is, refused to seek personal safety in flight, but remained with the army and when his gallant troops were worn out with constant fighting which he shared, he surrendered to the overwhelming forces of General Grant who, in the old army, had been his friend but whom the exigencies of war had made his enemy. Sent to Fort Warren in Boston harbor, General Buckner remained a prisoner of war in solitary confinement for eight months. Being exchanged, he was at once promoted to a Major Generalship in recognition of his gallant service at Fort Donelson. Ordered to report to General Bragg at Chattanooga, he was placed in command of a division of General Hardee's

corps. He accompanied the army into Kentucky and had the honor to receive the surrender of a large force of Federals at Munfordville, the county seat of Hart county and within a few miles of his boyhood home. He was present with his division at Perryville, Kentucky, October 8, 1862, and participated in the severe struggle which marked that battle as the greatest ever fought in Kentucky. On the retirement of General Bragg from Kentucky, General Buckner was ordered to the command of the Department of Southern Alabama with headquarters at Mobile where his skill as an engineer did much toward perfecting the defenses of that city. In May, 1863, he was in command of the Department of East Tennessee and Western Virginia with headquarters at Knoxville. He participated as a corps commander in the great battle of Chickamauga, September 19-20, 1863, in which struggle it has been stated that the percentage of killed and wounded as compared to the numbers engaged on the two sides, was greater than that of any other battle of the war. In the spring of 1864, General Buckner reported to Lieutenant General James Longstreet and was ordered to join the Army of Northern Virginia. In September, 1864, he was promoted to be a Lieutenant General and assigned to the command of a corps in the Trans-Mississippi Department where he was at the conclusion of the war. Receiving orders from General Kirby Smith, his superior in rank, to "disband the troops under his command," General Buckner declined to obey the order but going under a flag of truce to New Orleans, he arranged for their surrender on the same terms as had been granted to General Lee.

For some reason, never stated, the autocratic Secretary of War, Stanton, refused permission to General Buckner to return to Kentucky. He thereupon took up his residence in New Orleans and was connected with the press of that city as an editorial writer for three years. General Grant coming into the

Presidency, set aside the despotic order of Stanton and General Buckner returned to his home and was editor of the Louisville Courier for a time previous to its consolidation with. the Journal.

Induced thereto by the urgent appeals of many of his former comrades and many friends in civil life, General Buckner became a candidate for Governor of Kentucky. His entrance into the contest was at too late a date as many who would cheerfully have supported him had he announced earlier, found themselves pledged to other candidates. General Buckner's close friend, J. Proctor Knott, received the nomination and was chosen Governor at the succeeding election. Four years. later General Buckner was again a candidate and was nominated and elected Governor of Kentucky. There were those who, while his ardent friends, feared that a man trained as a soldier and more familiar with the camp than with civil affairs, might not be successful in the direction of the affairs of the state, but these were soon relieved of their fears for the able soldier at once demonstrated that the rights of the people were safe under his guiding hand. The legislature which was in session soon after he became Governor, poured bill after bill upon his desk, many of which were destined never to find their way to the book of statutes. No bill was too small to escape his watchful eye; no cunningly devised scheme to enrich its promoters ever secured his approval. He was a veritable sentinel on the watch tower of the state. Veto after veto stopped the progress of bills which were for the benefit of the few and against the real interests of the many. The hand which so long had held a sword, now grasped a pen and the principles set forth in his messages as those which he would unswervingly maintain, were those of a civilian and those messages, as was frequently said at the time, might have been written by a lawyer who had had long service on the bench. Men who had doubted the wis

dom of his election, hastened to assure him of their admiration for his administration and the watchful care with which he scrutinized every subject demanding his attention. Political opponents as well as personal and political friends, hastened to do him honor.

Upon the wall of his home at Glen Lily today hangs a handsomely engrossed copy of resolutions adopted by a non-partisan meeting of the leading men of Louisville assembled to pay the Governor the honor which was his due. So far as is known, no such honor has ever come to another Governor of the state. These resolutions are as follows:

"Louisville, Kentucky, April 13, 1888.

"A mass meeting of the citizens of Louisville was held at Masonic Temple on Friday afternoon, April 13, 1888, pursuant to a resolution previously adopted by the Board of Trade.

"Mr. R. A. Robinson called the meeting to order and nominated Mr. John E. Green as chairman, and Mr. Green was unanimously elected. Mr. John W. Buchanan was chosen by the meeting to act as Secretary and a large number of leading citizens of Louisville were designated as Vice Presidents.

"Col. John Mason Brown offered the following:

'This meeting of the citizens of Louisville assembled without regard to political affiliations, disclaiming all partisan feeling and speaking as free citizens of a free-Commonwealth, have the right and duty to speak in commendation of an upright, vigilant and conscientious public servant, and hereby tender their public recognition to Governor Simon Bolivar Buckner for the fearless and faithful manner in which he has within the forms and spirit of the Constitution and the obligations of his oath of office, prevented a mass of injurious legislation from ripening into binding statutes. They especially recognize that signal protection to the interests of the city of Louisville and its

citizens, which has secured a wholesome limit to the term of official power and applied to its Mayor that wise rule of the Constitution which limits eligibility in the office of Governor to a single term. And they declare that in all matters of municipal policy which involve the creation of a bonded debt and the imposition of burdens which must endure for years and affect their fortunes and their city's prosperity, the voice of the citizens should be heard and respected, expressed in the form of a free and fair vote and under the safeguard of a pure ballot.'

"Messrs. M. Cary Peter, Frank Hagan, W. R. Belknap, John H. Ward, Isaac T. Woodson and E. Polk Johnson advocated the adoption of Col. Brown's resolutions and when the vote was put a ringing cheer of assent was given.

"The Secretary was requested to notify Governor Buckner of the action of the meeting. "John W. Buchanan, John E. Green,

Secretary.

Chairman."

When the official term of Governor Buckner was about to close, the citizens of Frankfort, without regard to political opinions, held a meeting at which the following preamble and resolutions were adopted:

"The citizens of Frankfort to Gov. Simon Bolivar Buckner.

"The citizens of Frankfort to whom during the past four years an association with Governor Simon Bolivar Buckner has been most acceptable, desire upon his retirement from the Executive office, to give some expression of the feelings of respect and regard he has inspired among them and to offer in public and permanent form, a testimonial by which it may be manifested; it is therefore,

"Resolved, That in his capacity as Governor of Kentucky, Simon Bolivar Buckner has entirely filled the promise of ability and integrity given by an earlier public service and with exceptional fidelity, intelligence and a fearless

disregard of personal results, has conducted the affairs of the Commonwealth to the admiration of all its observing and capable people. They desire to bear witness that he has honorably and equitably administered the laws in all departments of his office and that in the exercise of his prerogative he has neither been compelled nor restrained by any fear of public censure, nor by any desire to court public favor, but that all of his acts have come from a desire to execute rightly and justly his duties as a public officer and that he has in no measuse failed in this performance.

"With all of the higher elements of manhood, sensitiveness, gentleness and firmness, with the fullest human sympathy and the most generous impulses, he has steered clear of the shoals of all mere personal considerations and has adhered closely to the line of justice alike to the individual and the Commonwealth.

"In his social relations, he is frank, easy and unpretentious, endearing himself to all and winning such esteem as has opened to him. the hearts and homes of Frankfort people. To him and to the fitting consort by whom he has been so gracefully aided and sustained, there will always be welcoming hands at the Capital.

"In thus ending the happy and honorable relations of four years, the people of Frankfort have only to regret that their extent of feeling is so restrained by limits of expression. "Signed

"Pat McDonald,

"Chairman of General Committee. "Lewis Mangan,

"Acting Mayor.

"B. F. Farmer,

"Secretary, General Committee."

During General Buckner's term as Governor the people of his native county unanimously elected him as their delegate to the Constitutional Convention in which he served with credit to them and to himself. Had his sug

gestions been adopted the resulting Constitution would have been an instrument far superior to that which was finally produced. The Convention was unfortunately dominated by self-seekers and men to whom the sound of their own voices was sweet music, while men of the modest class to which General Buckner, Governor Knott, and others belonged, found their efforts of no avail.

In the memorable Presidential campaign of 1896, many Democrats found themselves unable to accept the theories of Mr. Bryan and the platform upon which he sought election. They were unwilling to support Mr. McKinley and the result was the holding of a National Convention of what came to be known as "Sound Money Democrats" at Indianapolis.

At this Convention, Gen. John M. Palmer, of Illinois, was nominated for President and Gen. S. B. Buckner, of Kentucky, for Vice President. These gentlemen made an extended campaign, and though they failed of election, they had the satisfaction of a duty well performed and the knowledge that they had held intact a nucleus of the older and better Democratic party around which all of its members could rally when reason and sane policies once more returned to its leadership.

From a character sketch of General Buckner written by the late Morton M. Casseday, of the Louisville press, the following extracts are made:

"In the foundation of so well-rounded a character as his many influences work, and in such a man we may see the epitome of a people.

*

* His military training gave the largeminded man strength, reliance and self-control. He did not become a mere part of a military machine but a man of the strongest personality which made itself felt when he returned to the state after his service in the Mexican war. framed the admirable military law of Kentucky; greatly increased the efficiency of the state troops and at the commencement of hostilities between the North and the South, was

He

actively engaged in trying to maintain Kentucky's neutrality. When this had been disregarded, General Buckner went where his sympathies and his sense of right called him. and cast his lot with the South.”

Of the battle of Fort Donelson Mr. Casseday wrote: "This battle made General Buckner a hero of the war. He was the third in command but the brunt of the fighting, the mortification of surrender and the hardship of imprisonment fell upon him. * * * Floyd and Pillow left the field and their men and fled to Nashville. General Buckner, steadfast and true, remained with his little army and went with it into suffering and imprisonment.

"The Rev. Dr. Cross of the Confederate army in a sketch of General Buckner's military career, says: 'His moral character is irreproachable. During the months of my intimacy with him, I never saw in him an act or heard from him a word which would not become the purest Christian on earth. Though not a communicant of the Church his Bible and prayer book are his constant companions. In short, he is the most perfect gentleman I have found in the Confederate army, and of all the distinguished men, civilians or soldiers, whose acquaintance I have enjoyed, I have never known one whose private character was altogether so unexceptional as that of General Buckner.'

"Of General Buckner's conduct at Chickamauga, Dr. Cross says: 'He rode through the fiery tempest as calmly as if he knew himself invulnerable, and seemed as thoughtless of danger as if he were out on an equestrian pleasure excursion. He was everywhere among his troops, in front and flank and rear, directing their movements and cheering them to victory. To this cool courage, in connection with Longstreet's strategy and heroic resolution, more than to the management or energy of their compeers, is attributable the triumph of the Confederate arms on the field of Chickamauga.'

As these words are written the aged hero of