Philo B. Buckingham, the son of Deacon Aurelius and Laura (Beebe) Buckingham, was born in Oxford, CT. on June 6, 1820.
After receiving his education, he engaged in farming and school teaching until 1849, and married Sally C. Perkins in 1842. In the spring of 1849, he moved to Seymour, CT.. and was employed by the Naugatuck Railroad as a station agent until July 1862. Between 1849 and 1862, he was also chairman of the board of school visitors, treasurer of a savings bank, receiver of the Bank of North America, and state senator of the 5th district of Connecticut in 1855. He was also extensively engaged in manufacturing interests. In August 1862, he raised a company of volunteers to fight for the Union and soon after was commissioned a major of the 20th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry.
During his service in the Civil War, Buckingham was an Assistant Inspector General and toward the end of the war he received a brevet promotion to Colonel of the regiment. After the war, Buckingham worked for the Freedmen’s Aid Society for several months, and from 1866 to 1881 was employed as Superintendent and agent for the American Chemical Company near New Haven, Conn. In 1881, he suffered a severe “paralytic shock” and became an invalid. He died on December 5, 1891 at age 71; his burial site is unknown.
Charles Cornut
The 20th Connecticut Infantry, a regiment of the Army of the Potomac, was involved in several pivotal battles in the Eastern and Western theaters. Assigned to the XII corps, and later the XX Corps, they took part in a number of actions including those at Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Atlanta Campaign, and Sherman’s March to the sea.
Charles Cornut has been a member of COUG since 2012 and resides in Monroe, CT.
Charles can be contacted at [email protected].