Bluford Mathew Fleming


Bluford Mathew Fleming was born, Sept. 1845 in  Grant County, Ind.  
Bluford parents were Elmus Fleming and Julianna Badger.  Elmus was born in 
Muskingum County, Ohio and was an early pioneer of Grant County, Ind. 
Julianna was born in Ind., her parents were early pioneers of Grant County, Ind.

Bluford entered the Civil War on July 1863 with the 118th Regiment, Ind. Infantry 
organized at Wabash Ind. for 6 months of service.  

Organized at Wabash, Ind., during July and August 1863, for 6 months service. 
Left State for Nicholasville, Ky., September 16. Attached to Mahan's 1st Brigade, 
Willcox's Left Wing Forces, Dept. of the Ohio, to October 1863. 2nd Brigade, 
Willcox's Left Wing Forces, Dept. of the Ohio, to January 1864. District of the 
Clinch, Dept. of the Ohio, to March 1864.

SERVICE.-Marched from Nicholasville, Ky., to Cumberland Gap September 24-October 3, 
and to Morristown October 6-8. Action at Blue Springs October 10. March to 
Greenville and duty there till November 6. Marched across Clinch Mountain to 
Clinch River. Action at Walker's Ford, Clinch River, December 2. Duty at Tazewell, 
Maynardsville and Cumberland Gap till February, 1864. Action at Tazewell January 24. 
Mustered out March 1-4, 1864.

Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside [US]; 
Brig. Gen. John S. Williams [CS]

Description: Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside, commander of the Department of 
the Ohio, undertook an expedition into East Tennessee to clear the roads and passes 
to Virginia, and, if possible, secure the salt works beyond Abingdon. 


138th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864) 

Organized at Indianapolis, Indiana, and mustered in May 27, 1864. Ordered to 
Tennessee and assigned to Railroad Guard duty in Tennessee and Alabama, 
Dept. of the Cumberland, to September.  Mustered out September 22, 1864. 


Bluford was also listed as in:
13th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery 
No dates are given for the period that he was in this outfit. 

After the Civil War he married Eliza Forney in Wabash Co. Ind. They had 2 children, 
Edgar and Willard.  In the fall of 1870 he left the family and went to Iowa.  In 
1875 he married Susanah Gressly and had 6 children, Charles, Jared, Daisy, George, 
Archy & Walter.  Susanah died in 1886 and in 1890 he married one of her sisters, 
Ada Gressly and had 1 child, Ross.  In the fall of 1893 Bluford returned to Wabash Co., 
Ind. and said that he was on his way to the soldiers’ home in Dayton, Ohio.  
(I don’t think he ever got there)  On the 1900 and 1910 census for Franklin Twp, 
Grant Co. Ind., he is listed as living and working on the John Poe farm.  He died 
Oct 1914 and is buried at the National Cemetery in Marion, Grant County, Indiana. 

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