'Life of a Spy - In Nine Tableaux' - Thomas Nast Civil War illustration, Harper's Weekly 1863One incident in Buford's Gettysburg campaign that is often mentioned is the hanging of a man, reputed to be a Confederate spy, on his orders. Some report the spy being hung before the battle of Gettysburg, naming the executed man as Will Talbot. Apparently upon reaching Frederick in Maryland, Buford's provost marshal, Lt. Mix, caught a spy named Will Talbot, who admitted he was a member of Confederate Elijah White's Comanches, and Buford had him summarily tried and hung - an act that prompted an outraged populace to declare him a "Northern Brute." Buford had a note pinned to the body announcing that the corpse was to hang three days and that anyone cutting him down early would hang the remainder. Unless Buford ordered two separate hangings, before and after Gettysburg, evidence from the letters of Union soldiers indicate that, while Buford did indeed order the execution of a Confederate spy, he did so soon after the battle - on July 5th.
That spy was actually an older man about sixty, named William Richardson, who was well known to Union troopers from the Maryland campaign the previous year when he had been a regular visitor to Union camps while peddling a variety of songbooks.
"It had rained very hard and the roads were muddy, but we reached Frederick City at noon the next day -5th July…
Our troops camped in a field about a mile out of town, on the Boonsboro road. General Buford had been greatly annoyed by what he supposed to be spies, or persons who had been allowed to enter camp under various pretexts. Some he had arrested and sent to headquarters, who were there released. He declared if he caught another he would “hang him and not send him up to be promoted to a Brigadier-General."
This afternoon a man by the name of Richardson, who professed to reside in Baltimore, and who was distributing religious tracts, came into camp and was suspected of being a spy, as he had been seen hanging around camp at other times and places. Provost Marshal Mix arrested him, and on his person found letters from rebel Generals vouching for him, and recommending other rebels to place implicit reliance on the information he might give : also passes from both Federal and Confederate Generals. He confessed to having just come from the rebel lines, but said he had been to visit his three sons, who were in the Confederate service. General Buford carefully examined the papers, and then said "hang him." No further trial was had.
A few moments were given him to prepare to die, in which he tried to make his escape, but was recaptured. A rope was placed around his neck, one end thrown over the limb of a tree, and three soldiers drew him, fastened the rope and left him dangling in the air."
On its march northward, much of the Army of the Potomac would pass by the hanging Richardson, who was as much of a message evidencing Buford's viciousness in dealing with spies as it was vignette of the dark reality of war to the marching blue army behind him. This was not the last spy that Buford would execute and Colonel Lyman was right in describing him as a man "not to be trifled with." - a fact highlighted by the note Buford had attached to the corpse:Abner N. Hard - History of the Eighth Cavalry Regiment, Illinois Volunteers
"On the 8th they moved to Frederick...One of the first sights that greeted the Provost Guard, as they were pitching camp, was the body of Richardson the spy hanging from the limb of a tree close by. Pinned to his breast was a placard with this inscription:
"Tried, convicted and hung as a spy.
Any one cutting down this body without orders will take his place.
By order of Major-General John Buford,
Commanding Cavalry"From the letters of Captain Robert Goldthwaite Carter
"On the 8th we passed through Frederick...On the way we passed by a tree from which was hanging by the neck a Rebel spy. He was caught in Buford's cavalry camp, getting information that would enable him to lead a Rebel force to capture our supply train. Abundant evidence of his guilt was found upon him, and he was promptly executed. His body had been hanging for three days and was enormously bloated, his face presenting a horrid appearance. Our boys, nevertheless, identified him as the fellow that visited our camp at Bolivar as a peddler selling song books, and they were so elated to know that he had at last been detected and his treacherous career brought to an end, that they broke forth singing as we marched by, "And everything is lovely and the goose hangs high.""
From '137th Regiment Infantry- Historical Sketch by Surgeon John M. Farrington'
When Buford, frustrated at increased presence of spies in the Union camps, declared if he caught another he would “hang him and not send him up to be promoted to a Brigadier-General", it may have been a reference to the June 28th orders that had promoted the trio of 'Boy Generals' - Custer, Farnsworth and Merritt. If stated, this is unlikely to have been made in a spiteful or jealous manner as Buford was a known admirer of his protégé, Wesley Merritt. Moreover, it could have been uttered in annoyance at the release of some suspected spies he had captured and sent for justice to headquarters.