Stephen Gano
Burbridge was born August 19th 1831 in Georgetown, Kentucky. He attended Georgetown College and the
Kentucky Military Institute. After
graduating Burbridge became a lawyer.
When the
Civil War started Burbridge joined the Union army, forming a regiment; the 26th
Kentucky, which he was the Colonel of.
He was promoted to Brigadier General on June 9th 1862. He saw action at several battles including Shiloh,
and the Vicksburg Campaign. In June of
1864 he succeeded Union General Jeremiah T Boyle in command of the District of
Kentucky which had a problem with Confederate guerrilla fighting. He was given a brevet to Major General after
repulsing Confederate General John Hunt Morgan’s raid on Kentucky on July 4th
1864. One July 16th 1864
Burbridge issued Order Number 59, which said, "Whenever an unarmed Union
citizen is murdered, four guerrillas will be selected from the prison and
publicly shot to death at the most convenient place near the scene of the
outrages." Do to the outrage of the
population and civil authorities of Kentucky, Burbridge was relieved of his
command in January 1865.
After the
war Burbridge moved to Brooklyn, New York where he died December 2nd
1894. He is buried in Arlington National
Cemetery.
For more
information about Burbridge’s Order # 59, I recommend Four Confederate Soldiers Martyred at Pleasureville
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