Lexington, Kentucky (FOX 56) – On August 19, 1831, Stephen Gano “Butcher” Burbridge was born in Georgetown.
Burbridge attended Georgetown University and the Kentucky Military Institute in Frankfort. After leaving school, Burbridge became an apprentice at a law firm and eventually became a lawyer.
When the Civil War broke out and the country was split in half, Burbridge organized the 26th Kentucky Infantry Regiment and joined the Union Army.
For his valor at the Battle of Shiloh and his victory at the Battle of Cynthiana, he earned the rank of general, and in June 1864 he was made commander of the forces of Kentucky.
His heavy-handed approach to the problem of guerrilla warfare by Confederate loyalists. From his inauguration in mid-1864 until his death thirty years later, any mention of Burbridge’s name is said to have “provoked a storm of curses from editors and politicians.”
‘The Butcher’ and Martial Law
Union General William T. Sherman sent a message to Burbridge, telling him:Also, all the comrades hanging in towns, villages, and crossroads – who had no honest vocation – were the materials that make up the guerrillas.…Guerrilla is not a soldier, but a beast, a beast not to be used in warfare, can be commanded by every garrison and district commander. “
On July 5, 1864, Burbridge declared martial law in Kentucky and by order of President Abraham Lincoln suspended habeas corpus pursuant to Proclamation 113.
On 16 July Burbridge issued Decree No. 59, in which he declared:
Many innocent people will be murdered under Order 59.
Among those killed were four who were shot for the deaths of two men who were dragged from Lexington into Henry County en route to joining the Confederate Army and were said to have been killed at the hands of guerrillas. There was a man
One of the most gruesome and brutal executions murders to occur during Burbridge’s reign was the shooting of four prisoners from a Lexington prison outside Frankfort.
Brian Bush, in his article, “Major General Steven Gano Burbridge: The ‘Kentucky Tragedy,'” writes, “Before all was said, Burbridge executed fifty men and gave him a ‘butcher’.” I gave it the name Burbridge.”
End of his time in Kentucky
Burbridge’s declaration of martial law went so far as to arrest newspaper editors for treason if anyone wrote anything negative about Lincoln.
His extreme actions in suppressing support in Kentucky for Democratic candidate George McClellan further increased feelings of disrespect for his name throughout Kentucky. He went so far as to arrest and deport individuals who supported McClellan.
On February 6, 1865, Burbridge disbanded all armed forces under state authority and demanded that weapons be stored in state armories or federal supply depots, but Lincoln eventually canceled the order. I was.
The president eventually dismissed Burbridge and replaced him with Major General John Palmer.
On October 12, 1865, nearly six months after Lincoln’s assassination, martial law was revoked by President Andrew Johnson.
Burbridge resigned from the army on December 1, 1865. An investigation into his actions forced Burbridge to flee Kentucky to Brooklyn, New York.
His actions made him “the most hated man in Kentucky” and one of the most controversial figures in Kentucky history.
Burbridge is said to have written to a friend: With or without bread. “
He finally died on December 2, 1894 at the age of 61.
Special thanks to the work of History on the Net, Bryan S. Bush, and the Kentucky History Channel for making this story possible.
