Abraham Buford

Abraham Buford (July 21 1747-June 30 1833) was a Continental Army officer during the American Revolutionary War, best known as the commanding officer of the men killed in the "Waxhaw Massacre".

Born in Culpeper County, Virginia, Buford quickly organized a company of minutemen upon the outbreak of war in 1775, eventually rising to the rank of colonel by May 1778. Assuming command of the 11th Virginia Regiment in September, he would be assigned to the 3rd Virginia Regiment in April 1780 and sent south to relieve the British siege of Charleston, South Carolina.

Forced to withdraw following the surrender of Charleston on May 12, the 3rd Virginia Continentals were trapped on May 29 by a British and American Loyalist force under Col. Banastre Tarleton. When Buford refused Tarleton's demand he surrender, Tarleton ordered an assault in which Buford's force suffered casualties so severe that the Americans tried to surrender. However, British and Loyalist forces continued their attack; many American soldiers were bayoneted to death as they attempted to give up (resulting in the incident known as the "Waxhaw Massacre" or "Buford's Massacre"). From that time onward, "Tarleton's Quarter" (meaning give no quarter) was an American battle cry in the Southern theatre. The British claimed that an American militiaman fired at Tarleton after the Americans had signalled surrender, using that as an excuse for the ensuing slaughter.

Escaping on horseback with his remaining men, Buford was not found culpable for the action and continued to serve as an officer in the Continental Army through the Battle of Yorktown. He eventually settle in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky, on military bounty lands in excess of several thousand acres, where he helped found that state's horseracing industry and where he lived until his death at his home which he called "Richland" (National Register of Historic Places) in Scott County, Kentucky on June 30, 1833.

On Flag Day, June 14 2006, descendants of Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton sold Col. Buford's regimental flags taken at the Waxhaw Massacre at Sotheby's New York for over $5,000,000 (US). [cite web |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/connecticut/articles/2006/06/14/sothebys_auctions_rare_revolutionary_war_flags/ |title=Sotheby's auctions rare Revolutionary War flags |publisher=Associated Press (at boston.com) |author=Richard Pyle |date=June 14 2006 |accessdate=2008-06-18]

Buford was one of six sons of John and Judith Early Beaufort (Buford), all of whom served with distinction as officers during the American Revolution. Their Civil War descendants included Union Major Generals John Buford, who distinguished himself at the Battle of Gettysburg, and Napoleon Bonaparte Buford and Confederate General Abraham Buford.

References

*Boatner. "Encyclopedia". Marcus Bainbridge Buford. "The Buford Family in America," 1903.