Which Union cavalry general delayed the Confederate advance on July 1?

John Buford was the Union cavalry general who delayed the Confederate advance on July 1, 1863, at Gettysburg. His division arrived before most of the Union infantry and took up positions west of the town.

Buford recognized that the surrounding high ground was strategically vital. He deployed his dismounted cavalry to slow Major General Henry Heth’s advancing Confederate infantry. The cavalry used skirmish lines, repeating firearms, and carefully organized withdrawals to create the impression of a stronger force while buying time.

The delay allowed Union infantry from the I Corps and XI Corps to reach Gettysburg and reinforce the high ground south of town. Although Buford’s troopers eventually withdrew, their stand helped the Union Army establish the defensive position that shaped the rest of the battle.

Buford was a division commander, not the overall commander of the Union army. Major General George G. Meade commanded the Army of the Potomac. Another common mix-up is Philip Sheridan, who became a prominent Union cavalry leader later in the war but was not responsible for the opening stand at Gettysburg.