The Breckinridge family has been prominent in both Kentucky and national politics since Kentucky was established as a state in 1792. John Breckinridge, founder of the clan, was Attorney General of the United States under President Thomas Jefferson; his son, Robert Jefferson Breckinridge, was a Presbyterian minister involved in the pre-Civil War rift in the Presbyterian church which has lasted down to the present. Robert favored public education, opposed slavery, and was an ardent supporter of the Union during the Civil War. Robert's son, Joseph Cabell Breckinridge, fought on the Union side during the war, and later made a career in the Army. He married Louise Dudley, daughter of Ethelbert Ludlow Dudley, the noted Kentucky physician and teacher, lecturer in medicine at Transylvania University and the Louisville School of Medicine. Joseph's brother, Robert Jefferson Breckinridge, Jr., fought on the Confederate side.
From the description of Breckinridge family papers, 1759-1959. (University of Kentucky Libraries). WorldCat record id: 12893956
