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{{short description|American military figure and judge}}
{{Infobox military person
| name          = Abraham Jay Buckles
| birth_date    = {{birth date|1846|08|02}}
| death_date    = {{death date and age|1915|01|19|1846|08|02}}
| birth_place   =
| death_place   = [[San Bernardino County, California]], US
| placeofburial = Suisun-Fairfield Cemetery
| placeofburial_label = Place of burial
| image         = File:Abram J. Buckles (Cropped).jpg
| signature     =
| caption       =
| nickname      =
| allegiance    = United States<br/>[[Union (American Civil War)|Union]]
| branch        = [[United States Army]]<br/>[[Union Army]]
| serviceyears  = 1862&ndash;1865
| rank          = [[File:Union army 2nd lt rank insignia.jpg|35px]] [[Second Lieutenant]]
| commands      =
| unit          = {{flagicon|Indiana}} [[19th Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry]] - Company E
| battles       = [[American Civil War]]
| awards        = [[Medal of Honor]]
| laterwork     = Lawyer, teacher and judge
}}
'''Abraham Jay Buckles''' (August 2, 1846 – January 19, 1915) was an American soldier and jurist. Born near [[Muncie, Indiana]], on August 2, 1846, to Thomas and Rebecca (Graham) Buckles,<ref>[[Alan D. Gaff]], ''On Many a Bloody Field: Four Years in the Iron Brigade'', Indiana University Press, 1999, p.13</ref> his first name was often abbreviated as "Abram". Buckles was largely self-educated, and was known for his heroism during the [[American Civil War]] and his years of service on the California bench.<ref>''Abraham J. Buckles'', California Courts, http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/courtsofappeal/3rdDistrict/justices_former/buckles.htm</ref>
On December 15, 1865, he married Louiza/Louisa Conn.<ref>"Delaware County," Conn Indiana Marriages, http://userpages.monmouth.com/~raryan/indconn.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101118101929/http://userpages.monmouth.com/~raryan/indconn.htm |date=2010-11-18 }}</ref> Together, they had two daughters, Addie Jessie and Lola B.<ref>Tom Gregory, ''History of Solano and Napa Counties'' (1912) p. 334.</ref>
==Civil War==
In 1862, Buckles joined Company E, [[19th Indiana Infantry]], which was to become part of the "[[Iron Brigade]]," First Army Corps of the [[Army of the Potomac]], even though he was only 15 years old.<ref>J.H. Stine, ''History of the Army of the Potomac'', Philadelphia, PA: Rodgers Printing, 1892, p. 722,</ref> Buckles was wounded by bullets four times during the Civil War: at the [[Second Battle of Bull Run]] (thigh); [[Battle of Gettysburg|Gettysburg]] (right shoulder); [[Battle of the Wilderness|the Wilderness]] (body); and the [[Battle of Hatcher's Run]] (knee).<ref name="unionguards.org">''The Union Guards, 1861-1865, That Was Then''..., available online at: http://www.unionguards.org/guards/pubdocs/history-then.pdf</ref><ref>Tom Gregory, History of Solano and Napa Counties (1912), p. 334.</ref> His right leg was amputated after being shot through the knee at Hatcher's Run, and was discharged from service just 15 days before [[Battle of Appomattox Courthouse|Lee's surrender]]. By that time, Buckles was a Second Lieutenant in the [[20th Regiment Indiana Infantry]] (Reorganized).<ref name="unionguards.org"/>
Buckles left the Army in May 1865 as a 19-year-old man and returned to Indiana.<ref>25 Stats 938 (1888)</ref><ref>Tom Gregory, History of Solano and Napa Counties (1912), p.334</ref> He was later awarded the [[Medal of Honor]] for his actions during the Battle of the Wilderness.<ref>Home of the Heroes, http://www.homeofheroes.com/gravesites/states/pages_af/buckles_abram_ca.html</ref>
==Citation==
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company E, 19th Indiana Infantry. Place and date: At Wilderness, Va., 5 May 1864. Entered service at: Muncie, Ind. Birth: Delaware County, Ind. Date of issue: 4 December 1893. Citation: Though suffering from an open wound, carried the regimental colors until again wounded.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/civwaral.html |title=Civil War Medal of Honor Recipients - (A-L) |access-date=2011-05-16 |archive-date=2008-03-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080310030903/http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/civwaral.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Judge Buckles==
After his discharge, Buckles became a teacher while he read the law. He was admitted to the Indiana [[bar (law)|bar]], but then moved his family to [[Dixon, California]] in 1875. There, he began his legal career. In 1879, he was elected District Attorney of [[Solano County, California|Solano County]],<ref>District Attorneys of Solano County, http://www.co.solano.ca.us/depts/da/district_attorneys_of_solano_county.asp</ref> a position he retained until 1884, when he became Judge of the Superior Court of Solano County. Governor [[George Pardee]] named Buckles to the newly created Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, in April 1905. Buckles lost the partisan nomination for election to the appellate court in 1906,<ref>Bassford v. Earl (1912) 162 Cal. 115.</ref> and left office upon the expiration of his term in 1907. He returned to practice in [[Fairfield, California|Fairfield]], and in 1908 returned to the bench of the Superior Court of Solano County, where he served for the remainder of his life.<ref>Abraham J. Buckles, http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/courtsofappeal/3rdDistrict/justices_former/buckles.htm</ref>
Buckles was actively involved in civic and fraternal organizations. He was elected commander of the [[Grand Army of the Republic]], Department of California<ref>"A Reward of Merit" ''Los Angeles Times'', December 16, 1893, p.11.</ref> and served as Past Grand Chancellor of the [[Knights of Pythias]] in California.<ref>"Veteran Jurist Passes Beyond," ''Los Angeles Times'', January 20, 1915, p. II8</ref>
==Death==
Buckles died 11 days after an operation at [[Community Hospital of San Bernardino|Ramona Hospital]] in [[San Bernardino County, California|San Bernardino County]] on January 19, 1915. He was buried in Suisun-Fairfield Cemetery.
==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|American Civil War}}
*[[List of Medal of Honor recipients]]
==References==
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[[Category:1846 births]]
[[Category:1915 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Muncie, Indiana]]
[[Category:People of Indiana in the American Civil War]]
[[Category:Union army officers]]
[[Category:United States Army Medal of Honor recipients]]
[[Category:American amputees]]
[[Category:People from Fairfield, California]]
[[Category:American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor]]
[[Category:People from Dixon, California]]
[[Category:19th-century American judges]]
[[Category:Grand Army of the Republic officials]]
[[Category:Military personnel from California]]
[[Category:District attorneys in California]]
[[Category:American lawyers with disabilities]]