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People of the Civil War · Confederacy

John B. Floyd

1806–1863

Portrait of John B. Floyd in civilian clothing · Image source and credits

John B. Floyd

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Portrait of John B. Floyd in civilian clothing

Background

Former Virginia governor and United States secretary of war who became a Confederate brigadier general and senior commander at Fort Donelson.

Lawyer and governor

Floyd was born in Virginia in 1806. He practiced law in Virginia and Arkansas and also pursued cotton planting using enslaved labor. He served in Virginia’s legislature and was governor from 1849 to 1852.

Secretary of war

President James Buchanan appointed Floyd secretary of war in 1857. His administration ended in December 1860 amid disputes over federal forts and financial irregularities involving government contractors.

Confederate service

Floyd became a Confederate brigadier general and served in western Virginia and Tennessee. Jefferson Davis removed him from command after Fort Donelson. He later held a Virginia state military commission and died in Abingdon in 1863.

Biography sources

John B. Floyd, portrait made between 1861 and 1863.Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. No known restrictions on publication. · Image source and credits

John B. Floyd

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John B. Floyd, portrait made between 1861 and 1863.