CHARLES MITCHEL BURFORD, b. 15 December 1827, Conecuh County, AL1; d. 14 May 1863, Resaca, GA.

Notes for CHARLES MITCHEL BURFORD:

Charles Mitchell Burford was a lawyer trained at the University of Alabama when it was a military school. He graduated with a Master of Arts from University of Alabama on August 16, 1852.

Charles was killed in the battle of Resaca and is buried there. I have a picture of his gravestone which reads "in Memory of Charles M. Burford who was born in Conecuh County, Ala on December 15, 1827 and killed in battle at this place May 14, 1863 sacrificed for our lost cause erected by his brother'. He was actually killed in Resaca on May 14, 1864 as per military records. I cannot locate the date or place of his enlistment.

We do not know which brother erected this monument but it is the largest marker in the battleground cemetery - my assumption is his brother who survived the war, Peyton Burford. Charles was noted in his Alma Mater University of Alabama "The Crimson White dated March 30, 1899" as having been killed in the Battle of Resaca 1863. He served as the Color Bearer for his regiment. A member of the UDC wrote to me that the color bearer was the absolute most dangerous, but most honorable position. He carried the flag/banner, and they were always the first target to shoot and kill. The other side always tries to get the color bearer down. In some battles, they've gone through 15-20 color bearers, but someone just kept picking up that flag so it wouldn't lie on the ground. They saw this as defeat.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kithandkin2000/burfordfamily.htm

Find A Grave Memorial # 10055515