Private Buford Early
Pvt. Buford Early
Private Buford Early was born around 1813 in Franklin County, Virginia. This region, nestled in the Blue Ridge foothills, was home to dozens of interrelated families whose roots stretched back generations. Early is the surname of a free Black family in Franklin County prior to the Civil War. Buford Early married Fanny Jefferson, born 1825, who was also a part of the free Black population of Franklin County. Together, they would raise six children.
Before the Civil War, the Early family joined the wave of Black migration out of Virginia. Like many free and formerly enslaved people seeking safer ground and greater opportunity, they moved westward and eventually settled in Wyandotte County, Kansas. Before the Civil War, the Early family joined the wave of Black migration out of Virginia. Buford Early and his family were found in the 1865 Kansas State Census. According to that census, his year of birth is 1813 and that of his wife, Fanny, is 1825. The children living at their home at that time were Eliza E-15; John - 14; Sam H - 9; Nora J-6. There were also two older daughters, Dilcy Ann (born 1846) and Adeline/Addie (birth year unknown).
On February 12, 1864, at approximately 51 years old, Buford Early enlisted in the 18th United States Colored Infantry Regiment, Company E, in Wyandotte County, Kansas City, Kansas. His military records described him as 5 '6 ½ inches tall, with a copper complexion, black hair, black eyes, and his stated age 44 years. His service lasted only a few months; he was discharged in August 1864 due to a medical assessment stating he was “too old.” But his status as a veteran secured his widow and children the right to file for a military pension after his death.
Buford Early died on September 29, 1872, in Kansas. He left behind a legacy not only of service, but of familial strength and legacy. In May 1889, six children applied for a minor’s pension. The pension application states Buford “was disabled by disease” of which he died September 29, 1872.” The pension files submitted by the children made locating them in census records easier. There was no evidence that their applications were successful, though at least four of them would have been eligible as they were minors where their father served.
Dilcy Ann Early married Reuben Bailey around 1868. They had five children. Reuben died on August 4, 1922, but Dilcy’s death is unknown. Adeline (Addie) married Rice L Estell in 1864, and they had five children. Some children chose the alternate spelling “Estelle.” Addie was literate; she wrote her name on the pension application. Addie died on October 18, 1908. Eliza Ellen married James Turner, and they had six children. Her death date is unknown. No additional information was found on John Early. The only information found on Samuel Early was that his death occurred on August 13, 1903. Likewise, the only information found on Nora Early is that she was married to a Mr. Lewis. Notably, all the daughters named a child after brother or father Samuel, John or Buford, demonstrating the emotional significance held within the family’s memory. Buford Early’s life offers a small window into the histories of free Blacks, the promise of westward migration, and the USCT’s fight for citizenship for Black Americans.
Contributors: Chance Cheek, Toni Smith, Cathie Cummins, and Joyce Staples
