collect materials for a supplement to Michaux and Nuttall's Sylva. He was assistant geologist and naturalist of the Texas geological survey in 1860-'l, and from 1862 till 1865 was connected with the U. S. sanitary commission. He was state geologist of Texas from 1866 till 1867, and again from 1874 till 1877, and prepared two geological maps of the state. He showed by his investigations that Texas had deposits of iron and coal of much greater extent than had been supposed. In 1871-'2 he was scientific editor of the "State Gazette," Austin, Tex. From 1877 till 1881 he was engaged in preparing a work on the geology and natural history of the state. He was a member of various learned societies, and contributed largely to scientific publications. He also published several valuable reports as state geologist. A list of his scientific papers may be found in "Alumni Record of Wesleyan Universitv " (Middletown, Conn., 1883).
BUCKMINSTER, Joseph, clergyman, b. in
Rutland, Mass., 14 Oct., 1751; d. in Readsboro,
Vt., 10 June, 1812. He was graduated in 1770 at
Yale, studied three years longer on a Berkeley
scholarship, and was a tutor from 1774 till 1778.
Thomas, his ancestor, came early to Boston, and
died in Brookline in 1656. He was the son of
Joseph Buckminster, nephew of Col. William
Buckminster, and minister of Rutland, Mass., who
published several sermons, and died 27 Nov., 1792,
aged seventy-two years. He became attached,
while at New Haven, to a lady of reputation and
celebrity, whose history is the basis of Miss
Foster's story, “The Coquette.” He was ordained in
January, 1779, pastor of the North church in
Portsmouth, N. H. After a ministry of thirty-three
years, his health becoming greatly impaired,
he left home, 2 June, 1812, accompanied by his wife
and two friends, but died a few days after. He
was an earnest preacher, distinguished for fervent
eloquence, and was interested in the controversy
that led to a division in the Congregational
church, adhering to conservative and orthodox
principles, while his son adopted liberal views. He
published about twenty-five sermons and a short
sketch of Dr. McClintock, and was part author of
the “Piscataqua River Prayer-Book.” Eliza B.
Lee, his daughter, published “Memoirs of the
Rev. Joseph Buckminster, D. D., and of his Son,
the Rev. Joseph Stevens Buckminster” (Boston,
1851).—His son, Joseph Stevens, clergyman, b. in
Portsmouth, N. H., 26 May, 1784; d. 9 June, 1812.
He was graduated at Harvard in 1800, studied
theology and general literature, and was for a time
an assistant in Phillips Exeter academy, where he
had Daniel Webster as one of his pupils. In
October, 1804, he preached in Boston for the first
time, and accepted, in 1805, an invitation from the
Brattle street society there. A voyage to Europe
was rendered necessary for the restoration of his
health; and in 1806-'7 he travelled in England
and on the continent. While in London he
purchased many books for the Boston Athenæum. He
was an active member of the anthology club,
famous for the gifted men it included, and for having
originated one of the first purely literary
periodicals of this country. In 1809 he delivered
before the Phi Beta Kappa society of Harvard an
address on “The Dangers and Duties of Men of
Letters.” He was a celebrated preacher and a
contributor to periodicals. The new edition of the
Greek Testament of Griesbach was directed by
him in 1808. In 1811 he was appointed the first
lecturer on biblical criticism at Harvard; but,
while preparing for this office, he was attacked
with epilepsy, a disease with which he was affected
during his entire life, and died after a few days.
In 1808 he published a collection of hymns for the
use of his society. A volume of his sermons was
published, with a memoir of his life and character,
by Samuel C. Thacher, in 1814. His collected works
were issued in two volumes (Boston, 1839).
BUCKMINSTER, William, soldier, b. in Framingham, Mass., 15 Dec, 1736; d. 22 June,
1786; removed to Barre in 1757, commanded the
minute-men in 1774, was lieutenant-colonel of
Brewer's regiment at Bunker Hill, and received
there a wound that crippled him for life.
BUCKMINSTER, William J., journalist, b. in Maine in 1813 ; d. in Maiden, Mass., 2 March, 1878. He was a son of the founder of the
“Massachusetts Ploughman,” and was for twenty-one
years one of its editors and publishers. He was
graduated at Harvard college in 1835. His father,
William, died at Framingham, Mass., in June,
1865, aged eighty-two years.
BUCKNER, Alexander, senator, b. in Indiana; d. in St. Louis, Mo., 15 June, 1833. He settled in Missouri, was a member of the state constitutional convention in 1820, was several terms in the legislature, and was elected to the U. S. senate, serving from 4 March, 1831, until his death.
BUCKNER, Simon Bolivar, soldier, b. in Kentucky in 1823. He was graduated at the U. S. military academy in 1844. Entering the 2d infantry, he was, from August, 1845, till May, 1846,
assistant professor of ethics at West Point. He
was brevetted first lieutenant for gallantry at Contreras and Churubusco, where he was wounded, and captain for gallantry at Molino del Rey. He was appointed assistant instructor of infantry tactics at West Point, August, 1848, and resigned 25 March, 1855. He was superintendent of construction of the Chicago custom-house in 1855, and
colonel of the volunteers raised in Illinois in that
year for the Utah expedition, but not mustered
into service. He then practised law, and became
the most prominent of the Knights of the Golden
Circle in Kentucky. After the civil war began he
was made commander of the state guard of Kentucky and adjutant-general of the state. On 12 Sept., 1861, he issued from Russellville an address to the people of Kentucky, calling on them to take up arms against the usurpation of Abraham Lincoln, after which he occupied Bowling Green. After the capture of Fort Henry he evacuated that
place and withdrew to Fort Donelson, where he
commanded a brigade in the battles of 13. 14, and
15 Feb., 1862, and, after the escape of Pillow and
Floyd, surrendered the fort, 16 Feb., to Gen. Grant,
with 16,000 prisoners and vast stores. He was imprisoned at Fort Warren, Boston, until exchanged
in August, 1862. He subsequently commanded the
1st division of Gen. Hardee's corps in Bragg's army
in Tennessee. Later he was made a major-general,
and assigned to the 3d grand division, was in the
battles of Murfreesboro and Chickamauga, and surrendered with Kirby Smith's army to Osterhaus, at Baton Rouge, 26 May, 1865. Gen. Buckner's first wife was a daughter of Maj. Kingsbury. He was one of the pall-bearers at Gen. Grant's funeral. He was elected governor of Kentucky in 1887.
BUDD, Charles Henry, physician, b. in Pemberton, N. J., 8 Dec, 1822; d. in Philadelphia, Pa., 22 Oct., 1880. He was educated at Marshall college, Mercersburg, Pa., and studied medicine at the university of Pennsylvania, after which he began to practise in Darby, Pa. At the beginning of the civil war he received an appointment at the Chestnut Hill hospital, and afterward at the Nicetown hospital, Philadelphia. Subsequent to the
