The Senior Tennessee Regiment

The 154^th Tennessee Infantry; a Confederate, unit surrendered and was paroled May 2^nd 1865 at Greensboro, North Carolina.

The organization of the 154^th Tennessee Militia dated back to 1842.  When the old militia system was dropped in Tennessee in 1859, the officers and men of the 154^th took out a charter and were incorporated by an act of the Tennessee Legislature March 22^nd 1860.

When the Civil War started the regiment was organized at Randolph, Shelby, Tennessee, and it retained its old number.  It was given permission to add “Senior” to its regimental number to indicate that it came before regiments which had a lower number.  They mustered into Confederate service at New Madrid, Missouri on August 13^th 1861.  In September the 154^th became part of Brigadier General Benjamin F Cheatham’s Brigade.  They were in action during the Battle of Belmont on November 7^th 1861.  They were at the Battle of Shiloh, entering the battle with about 650 men, the 154^th lost 199 in killed, wounded and missing.  After this the 154^th became part of Confederate Brigadier General Preston Smith’s Brigade.  They were in heavy fighting at the Battle of Richmond in Kentucky August 30^th 1862.  After fighting at the Battle of Murfreesboro, where the 154^th lost 100 men, they were consolidated with the 13^th Tennessee.

When Confederate General Joseph E Johnston’s Army was reorganized for the last time on April 9^th 1865, the 154^th made up a part of the 2^nd Consolidated Tennessee Infantry.  Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel George W Pease the Consolidated Tennessee was made up of what remained of the 11^th, 12^th, 13^th, 29^th, 47^th, 50^th, 51^st, 52^nd and 154^th Tennessee Infantries.  They surrendered at Greensboro, North Carolina May 2^nd 1865, and were paroled the same day.

He Was Named To Be In The Military

Union General and Railroad Executive Napoleon Bonaparte Buford was born January 13th 1807.

Napoleon Bonaparte Buford was born in Versailles, Woodford , Kentucky on his families plantation January 13th 1807, the son of John and Nancy [Hickman] Buford. He was the older brother of Union Cavalry General John Buford. He attended the United State Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1827. For eight years Buford served in the artillery. He then went to Harvard where he studied law. Buford was an assistant professor until 1835 at West Point when he resigned. Buford went on to work as an engineer, in iron mining, and in banking at Peoria, Illinois. He was the President of the Rock Island and Peoria Railroad.

When the Civil War started Buford joined the Union Army as a Colonel in the 27th Illinois Infantry. They saw early action during the Battle of Belmont. He commanded the “Flotilla Brigade” an infantry brigade which served on gunboats in the Western Theater. In April 1862 Buford was promoted to Brigadier General, and given command of the First Brigade, 3rd Division in the Army of Mississippi. He was promoted again in November 1862 to Major General serving the rest of the war as the commander of the District of East Arkansas. He mustered out of the army March 13th 1865.

Following the war Buford held a couple of government jobs. He was the inspector of construction of the Union Pacific Railroad and a commissioner of Indian Affairs. Buford died March 28th 1883 in Chicago, Illinois. He is buried in Chippiannock Cemetery in Rock Island, Illinois.