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Abraham Buford
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Abraham Buford (July 21, 1747-June 30, 1833) was a Continental Army officer during the American Revolutionary War, most known as commanding officer during 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 British forces under Col. Banastre Tarleton and demanded Burford's surrender. When Buford refused his surrender, Tarleton's ordered an assault in which Buford's forces suffered casualties so severe, American forces were forced to surrender. However, British forces continued their attack against the routed American force as many soldiers were bayoneted to death as they attempted to surrender to British forces (resulting in the incident known as the "Waxhaw Massacre"). An American militiman fired at Tarleton after the Americans had signalled surrender, angering the British troops. Escaping on horseback with his remaining men, Buford would hold no further commands for the remainder of the war and would eventually settle in Kentucky where he lived until his death in Scott County, Kentucky on June 30, 1833.
- Boatner. Encyclopedia.