John B. Floyd facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Floyd
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| 24th United States Secretary of War | |
| In office March 6, 1857 – December 29, 1860 |
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| President | James Buchanan |
| Preceded by | Jefferson Davis |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Holt |
| 31st Governor of Virginia | |
| In office January 1, 1849 – January 16, 1852 |
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| Preceded by | William Smith |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Johnson |
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates | |
| In office December 6, 1847 – December 31, 1848 |
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| Preceded by | Samuel Goodson |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Goodson |
| In office December 3, 1855 – December 6, 1857 |
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| Preceded by | Isaac Dunn |
| Succeeded by | Robert Grant |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Buchanan Floyd
June 1, 1806 Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | August 26, 1863 (aged 57) Abingdon, Virginia, C.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Sally Buchanan Preston |
| Education | Georgetown University University of South Carolina, Columbia (BA) |
| Signature | .png){kind=small} |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Confederate States |
| Branch/service |  Provisional Army of Virginia Confederate States Army |
| Years of service | 1861–1863 |
| Rank | Brigadier General |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War • Battle of Kessler's Cross Lanes • Battle of Carnifex Ferry • Battle of Fort Donelson |
John Buchanan Floyd (born June 1, 1806 – died August 26, 1863) was an important American politician and general. He served as the 31st Governor of Virginia and later as the United States Secretary of War. During the American Civil War, he became a general for the Confederate States Army. He is most known for his role in the crucial Battle of Fort Donelson.
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Early Life and Education
John Buchanan Floyd was born on June 1, 1806, at the Smithfield plantation near Blacksburg, Virginia. He was the oldest son of Laetitia Preston and John Floyd, who also served as Governor of Virginia.
Young John Floyd came from a family with English, Welsh, Scottish, and Irish roots. He studied at South Carolina College, graduating in 1826.
In 1830, he married his cousin, Sarah (Sally) Buchanan Preston.
Political Career
After finishing his studies, Floyd became a lawyer in Virginia in 1828. He also tried cotton planting in Arkansas, but he faced financial difficulties.
In 1839, Floyd returned to Washington County, Virginia. He was elected to the Abingdon town council in 1843. In 1847, voters chose him to represent them in the Virginia House of Delegates, which is part of Virginia's state government.
Governor of Virginia
In 1849, John B. Floyd was elected the 31st Governor of Virginia. As governor, he helped start the monument to President George Washington in Virginia Capitol Square. He even laid the first stone for the monument in 1850.
After his time as governor ended in 1852, he was again elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. Floyd was also active in the Democratic Party. He supported James Buchanan in the 1856 presidential election.
Serving as Secretary of War
From left to right: Jacob Thompson, Lewis Cass, John B. Floyd, James Buchanan, Howell Cobb, Isaac Toucey, Joseph Holt, and Jeremiah S. Black (around 1859)
In March 1857, President James Buchanan appointed Floyd as the United States Secretary of War. In this role, he was in charge of the U.S. Army and military affairs.
During his time as Secretary of War, there were some questions about how he managed money and government contracts. He was accused of improper financial dealings, especially involving government bonds. These accusations led to his resignation in December 1860. However, a court later found no proof that he personally gained from these actions, and the accusations were dropped.
Before the Civil War, Floyd was against states leaving the Union. But after Abraham Lincoln was elected president, people became suspicious of his actions. Some accused him of sending many government weapons to federal storage places in the Southern states, which seemed to prepare the South for war.
Ulysses S. Grant, who later became a famous Union general, wrote in his memoirs that Floyd had spread out the army and sent weapons to the South. A special group in Congress looked into Floyd's actions as Secretary of War. They found that he had sent over 115,000 muskets and rifles to Southern states in late 1859. He also ordered heavy cannons to be sent to forts in Texas and Mississippi.
Floyd resigned as Secretary of War on December 29, 1860. This happened after President Buchanan refused to order Major Robert Anderson to leave Fort Sumter, which was a key event leading to the start of the Civil War.
Role in the Civil War
After Virginia left the Union, John B. Floyd became a major general in Virginia's army. He was then made a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army in May 1861.
He was first involved in military actions in western Virginia. He was wounded in the arm at the Battle of Carnifex Ferry on September 10, where his forces were defeated. There was a disagreement between General Floyd and another Confederate general, Henry A. Wise, about who was to blame for the loss. Because of this conflict, both generals were eventually removed from their commands in that area.
Battle of Fort Donelson
In January 1862, General Floyd was sent to the Western Theater of the war. He was given command of a division and sent to reinforce Fort Donelson in Tennessee. This fort was very important because it protected the Cumberland River and the city of Nashville.
Floyd took command of Fort Donelson on February 13, just two days after the Union army arrived. He was the third commander of the fort in a week. Many believed Floyd was not the best choice to defend such an important place because he had political experience but little military experience.
As Union forces, led by General Ulysses S. Grant, surrounded the fort, the Confederates tried to break out on February 15. Although they had some success at first, they ended up back in their trenches.
Early on February 16, the Confederate generals decided to surrender their army. General Floyd was worried that he would be arrested if captured by the Union Army. So, he gave his command to General Gideon Johnson Pillow, who then passed it to General Simon Bolivar Buckner.
Floyd escaped by steamboat with some of his troops before Buckner surrendered to Grant. This was a major defeat for the Confederacy. Because of this, Confederate President Jefferson Davis removed Floyd from his command on March 11, 1862.
Floyd's health declined after this, and he died a year later on August 26, 1863, in Abingdon, Virginia. He is buried in Sinking Spring Cemetery.
Legacy
Floyd County in northwest Georgia is named after his relative, John Floyd, who was a U.S. Congressman.
Camp Floyd, a U.S. Army post in Utah from 1858 to 1861, was originally named after John B. Floyd.
Images for kids
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John B. Floyd's signature
See also
In Spanish: John B. Floyd para niños
