Breckinridge, General John Cabell (1821-1875)
Section G, Lot 1
General Breckinridge could be considered one of the tragic heroes of the Civil War. This brilliant southern gentleman graduated from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky in 1839 and studied law at Transylvania. After serving as a major of the Third Regiment in the Mexican War, he served in the Kentucky Legislature and the U.S. Senate. At age 35, he was Vice President of the United States under James Buchanan. In 1860, he was nominated for President. As a senator during the term of President Abraham Lincoln, Breckinridge worked for compromise measures, but in 1861 he resigned for the Southern cause. He quickly rose through the ranks of military leadership to Secretary of War for the Confederate States. After the defeat of the South, he spent four years in exile in Europe. When he finally felt physically safe, he returned to Lexington. A broken-hearted man, he kept a low profile, refusing even to comment about politics. His statue stands in Cheapside Park.
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