Gettysburg - General Buford

Though General Buford is relatively well known to Civil War buffs, and has been played by Sam Elliot in the Gettysburg film, the extent of his contributions in the summer of 1863 remain more obscure. This is unfortunate. He serves as a case-study in the theoretical and practical applications of tactics and strategy. His leadership prior to the battle ensured that his troops were well prepared and ideally positioned for the Confederate advance. The leadership and defensive concepts he employed remain relevant today.

Late in June 1863, the divisions of two great armies roamed Maryland and Pennsylvania. In retrospect, their confrontation at the crossroads of Gettysburg seems almost inevitable. However, the outcome of that confrontation was largely the work of one Union officer.
Buford conducted his own extensive reconnaissance of the terrain around the town. He talked with civilians and personally visited far-flung elements of his own forces, or pickets as they were called, to gather the most complete assessment of the enemy. He came to realize that a substantial force under General Hill was as close as 9 miles away. Buford’s supervision of his forces on the eve of battle was comprehensive, and several aspects of what are today known as the US Army’s “troop leading procedures” were evident in his leadership example.

Buford set up his undersized element to force the Confederates to attack multiple superior defensive positions throughout the day.

Battle commenced early on July 1st and Buford’s troops fought well against the Confederates. Confederate cavalry was not utilized effectively, enhancing the defensive advantages for the Union . Late in the morning General Reynolds arrived to reinforce the troopers heavily engaged in vicinity of Gettysburg. While the Confederates succeeded in dislodging the Union Army from Seminary Ridge on the first day of battle, they could not press the issue effectively on Cemetery Ridge. Part of the defense of that position would be conducted by Buford’s troopers once again. As the Union Army regrouped on the ridge, Buford’s cavalry again exercised both mounted and dismounted maneuvers to confuse, impede, and distract the Confederates.

General Buford died before the end of the war. While there are many important figures in the Civil War, he ranks among the most impactful even if not the most well-known. He designed, as much as any one person could, the Union’s most significant victory of the war.

[tflynn]

He is describing exactly what Longstreet faced on day three with Pickett's Charge. "The way you often feel before an ill considered attack, knowing it will fail. But you can not stop it. Must even take part. Help it fail!"

[ladiesgentswegothim]

When he thumped his chest, it made dust fly. Great detail. They just finished a long ride.

[springerk]

I love that when Sam Elliott was issued a brand new uniform for the film, he called costume expert Luster Bayless and asked how to properly age his uniform and did so in his motel bathroom.

[Krebssssssss]

For all of the praise Col. Chamberlain and the 20th Maine received for their gallantry at Little Round Top (and rightly so), Buford’s cavalry division deserves as much, if not more. It’s arguable that if it weren’t for his actions on day 1 of the battle, the Union may have lost. Preventing the Confederates from entrenching themselves in the hills and on the high ground allowed the Union to do just that themselves, and forced Lee to assault their positions with lesser numbers from a weaker tactical position. It was incredibly crucial, and Buford is severely underrated in this moment. He saw what was going to happen before even Longstreet, Lee, Meade, Hancock, and all the commanders before they even knew there was going to be a battle.

[hagamapama]

Colonel Gamble, Buford's pessimistic subordinate, is such an interesting chharacter. He's a man who carefully considers all the ways a thing can go wrong so he is mentally prepared, , but then makes it clear that his pessimism does not flow from a lack of courage. He took a near miss from a cannonball and was back on his feet commanding his men in seconds. The man wasn't a cheerleader, but he was made of solid steel.

[whouston]

I’ve heard somewhere that this movie, and in particular this scene, is the closest thing we Americans have to a Shakespearean play and Shakespearean soliloquy. I tend to agree with that statement. 🇺🇸

[KBoB]

General Buford "It's over Lee. I have the high ground.
General Lee "You underestimate my power!"
General Buford "Don't try it."

[RSLindsay]

It occurs to me that Sam Elliott's role in this movie is *exactly* like John Buford's role at the Battle of Gettysburg. Elliott has only one major scene in the movie. (He appears in a few others.) But in this one scene, Elliott commands your attention, as Buford makes the decision that will change the outcome of the battle. Elliott (as Buford) is "reading" the battlefield, thinking like a chess master (which is a contrast to Elliott's rough-hewn demeanor). Buford knows what is coming, and knows that if he takes action now, he can prevent a massacre of Union troops. His decision was the linchpin of the battle's outcome, just as Elliott's one scene is the linchpin of this movie's story.

[lennyrumschlag]

This is probably my favorite scene in the movie. Burford, perfectly performed by Sam Elliot, tells us how tomorrow will probably go. It shows us how much thought he puts in planning attacks and predicting how different outcomes are.

[williambyrne]

Great scene selection. I cannot think of John Buford without picturing him as Sam Elliott.

[haynes]

I was reading about General John Buford and how he and his calvary fought for time at Gettysburg for Union reinforcements to arrive. He and his men deserve full credit for holding off Confederate advances from A.P. Hill and General Ewell's corps. I really admire Buford. His studies of calvary tactics at West point paid off.

[davidpeteriarussi]

On June 30, 1863, John Buford (Brigadier General US Cavalry) was in command of two brigades (approx. 2, 700 troopers) that were the eyes and ears of the Federal army shadowing General Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia, as they journeyed northeast shielded between the Pennsylvania mountains.
John Buford took unequivocal and brilliant leadership and forged a sound battle plan that worked better than expected and worked against overwhelming odds of 7:1. He explained to his officers what was at stake: the culminating battle of the war that, should it produce another northern defeat and southern victory, the United States could not tolerate the war any longer. Draft riots were peaking that summer and anti-war sentiment was rising. Papers for an armistice had already been drawn up and were waiting to be placed on President’s Lincoln’s desk for his signature should news of another Federal debacle in Pennsylvania become known.

Speaking to his men (and half aloud to himself), John Buford rhetorically scolded the leadership of the Army and the politicians urging them to strike - strike. He told his men to do whatever was necessary to prevent the South from seizing the high ground at Gettysburg. Conferring with his junior officers was also sound leadership. It ensured buy-in of his chain of command. Explaining that the high ground just might be saved ...if they can hold and ...if the 1st corps arrived in time, and ...if ammunition holds out - three 'IFS' they bet their sacred duty and lives upon.

Buford's men adored him, tolerating his musings out loud. He had gotten them to throw away their sabers that he said were useless and their revolvers as well. Carry extra carbine ammunition for the same weight he preached, and his men enthusiastically agreed. There is some speculation that he may have issued his brigades with new repeating carbines though there is no evidence or mention of this anywhere to date. More likely standard issue Sharps carbines or similar breech loaders were in their hands with three times the firepower of the muzzle loading muskets of Lee's infantry. Besides greater firepower, breechloaders had the advantage of being able to be loaded in a prone or hidden position. Buford’s men were deployed behind low stone walls topped with whatever rails and logs they could find. Most of Buford’s casualties sustained head, neck and shoulder wounds that speaks of their hunkered-down positions. The southern infantry had none of these advantages and three distinct disadvantages: attacking upright in a tight line formation while firing, using slow loading muskets that could only be reloaded while standing up and they had little or no cover while advancing. The two lines were at times only one hundred to one hundred fifty yards apart.

But more importantly Buford expedited correct intelligence to leading infantry corps (1st and 11th) with requests for all possible speed and reinforcement. He simultaneously did the same through the night to 4 other corps; to come to Gettysburg where he was "...in possession of good ground." He slept little, perhaps an hour and less than two, off-and-on before waking his men well before first light on July 1st.



Despite the Federal 11th corps' rout on that 1st day, and with the stalwart toughness of the 1st corps, despite this fragmented situation, the coveted high ground was saved and decisively reinforced over the next two days to the detriment of Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. Although Lee could have, (should have?) abandoned his position at Gettysburg and forced the Federals to relinquish their advantage of the high ground and pursue Lee elsewhere, Lee did not; though he was advised by his respected 2nd in command, General James Longstreet to do that.

Lee's hesitation at the end of the 1st day in failing to pursue the fleeing Federals to the high ground they had retreated to; on the 2nd day, he was slow to move and failed to coordinate his forces, plus he failed to outflank the Federal position (though advised by Longstreet to do so several times), as well as failing to take advantage of the cover of night to maneuver into position by daybreak of the third day, as he had done in the past - all these allowed the Federals to hold the high ground. Lee's errors in judgment on all three days were entirely uncharacteristic of his past military exploits. These missed opportunities, ensured the Federal victory on that fated third day, when Lee ordered Longstreet, over Longstreet’s objections, to assault an estimated 55, 000 - 60, 000 dug in Federal troops with superior artillery: on the high ground - with only with 17, 000 infantry marching in plain view across a mile of open fields subject to raking artillery and grape shot before reaching musket range a quarter mile from the top..

On the morning of July 4th, in a drenching downpour, Lee's shattered army mournfully retreated out of Pennsylvania, heading for virginia, with an ambulance train of wounded that was said at the time to be unbroken for twelve miles and leaving a trail of blood in the mud. The casualty lists that were being calculated and drawn up - then published in the papers - stunned civilians and military alike in both halves of the country. The tide of the Great Rebellion's with her string of victories up to and including July 1, ebbed on July 2 and reversed on July 3rd. Lee never again held the initiative that he had throughout the Democrat slave holder's rebellion, up until that third day at Gettysburg.
The turning of the terrible and merciless fortunes of war was decided man to man, company to company, brigade to brigade and division to division on the fields, woods and ridges of the fruitful Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

On the very next day, the fourth of July, Fortress Vicksburg on the Mississippi surrendered to General Ulyses S. Grant (US Grant) and the Confederate' nation was cut in half. The desperately needed horses, hogs, sulfur (for gunpowder production) and leather from west of the Mississippi, was now mostly beyond reach. The strategic soundness of the Great Rebellion was no more and it could only linger, floundering amid dwindling hope. The final collapse which would bring peace, was still twenty-two long and bitter months away.

[thomast]

OK, so it seems on first glance that Buford has gotten outshone or overlooked by all of the writers over the past 160 years or so. However, Sam Elliott brought him to life here, so much so, that he deserved award nominations for his excellent portrayal. So, in essence, because film is seen by 1000x more people than the written word, Buford gets his deserved recognition and will continue to get it as long as this film continues to be seen. Therefore, Buford will never be irrelevant again.

[J.B]

"We can deprive the enemy of the high ground!" That's the MAN moment right there.

[jimchumley]

What John Buford was predicting what was going to happen he prevented. I have learned so much through this awesome surreal and well acted scene. So sad the loss of human lives and the desolation in that three day bloody battle. I read the aftermath of disease was terrible after this battle. Shalom to all who read this.

[Zarastro]

When I was a kid I had a hard time understanding how the dismounted cavalry if they had breech loaders ultimately lost against infantry with muzzle loaders. Now, older and having an understanding of the scale of the troops engaged, I realized that there was no way they could hold out against that volume of men. The carbines were actually probably part of the reason why they didn’t get rolled from the get go.

[nykia]

I always liked how intensely he says, "We can deprive the enemy of the high ground!!"

[samueladams]

As brilliant as the portrayal is in the movie, it still gives short shrift to the brilliance of Bufords battle plan (movies have limitations). The deployment of troops well forward of the seminary, fighting delaying actions on two smaller ridges provided the critical time for Reynolds to come up. And Buford made certain he had the roads to the north and northwest thoroughly picketed to provide advance warning of the convergence of Lee’s forces. The North started the battle with almost perfect intelligence of Lee’s disposition. Lee meanwhile was blind since Stuart was busy on his own adventures and neglected his primary objective.

[rocketlam]

This whole sequence with the cavalry is just gold

[davidschneider]

General Buford’s dismounted cavalry held back the Rebel forces long enough to make it possible for the United States troops to end the day in possession of Cemetery Hill. This made it all but impossible for the Confederates to prevail here.