Simon Bolivar Buckner (April 1, 1823 – January 8, 1914) is an American soldier and politician who fights in the United States Army in the Mexican–American War and in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.

He later serves as the 30th Governor of Kentucky.

After graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point, Buckner becomes an instructor there.

He takes a hiatus from teaching to serve in the Mexican–American War, participating in many of the major battles of that conflict.

He resigns from the army in 1855 to manage his father-in-law's real estate in Chicago, Illinois.

He returns to his native state of Kentucky in 1857 and is appointed adjutant general by Governor Beriah Magoffin in 1861

In this position, he tries to enforce Kentucky's neutrality policy in the early days of the Civil War.

When the state's neutrality is breached, Buckner accepts a commission in the Confederate Army after declining a similar commission to the Union Army.

In 1862, he accepts Ulysses S. Grant's demand for an "unconditional surrender" at the Battle of Fort Donelson.

He is the first Confederate general to surrender an army in the war.

He spends five months as a prisoner of war.

After his release, Buckner participates in Braxton Bragg's failed invasion of Kentucky and near the end of the war becomes chief of staff to Edmund Kirby Smith in the Trans-Mississippi Department.

In the years following the war, Buckner becomse active in politics.

He is elected governor of Kentucky in 1887.

It is his second campaign for that office.

His term is plagued by violent feuds in the eastern part of the state, including the Hatfield–McCoy feud and the Rowan County War.

His administration is rocked by scandal when state treasurer James "Honest Dick" Tate absconds with $250,000 from the state's treasury.

As governor, Buckner becomes known for vetoing special interest legislation

In the 1888 legislative session alone, he issues more vetoes than the previous ten governors combined.

In 1895, he makes an unsuccessful bid for a seat in the U.S. Senate.

The following year, he joins the National Democratic Party, or "Gold Democrats", who favors a gold standard policy over the Free Silver position of the mainline Democrats.

He is the Gold Democrats' candidate for Vice President of the United States in the 1896 election, but polls just over one percent of the vote on a ticket with John M. Palmer.

He never again seeks public office and dies January 8, 1914.