Following a brief introductory post, this is the first more detailed post in a series about William Calmes Buck, my 3G Grandfather.
William Calmes Buck was born on August 23, 1790 in
Shenandoah County, Virginia near what is now the town of Front Royal. In spite of having only a basic formal
education, he became a prominent Baptist minister, editor, author and
denominational leader serving in Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi
and Texas. Self-taught, he became fluent
in Latin, Greek and Hebrew and was known as “Dr. Buck” at Baylor University where
he was a lecturer in his later years.
Wm. C. Buck (as he typically signed his name) wrote that his
father was an “extensive farmer”. His
grandparents, Charles and Letitia (Sorrel) Buck were among the early settlers
of the Shenandoah Valley and had owned about 3000 acres of land. The Bucks were Baptist and donated land for
the Water Lick Baptist Church and a cemetery.
The original Water Lick Church no longer exists but the cemetery is
referred to as the Buck
Cemetery
Water Lick Baptist Church was organized on April 15,
1787. It was about seven miles from
Front Royal and about a half mile from the Buck homestead. It was a one room church made of logs and
said to have comfortable seats, and a high pulpit. Between the Buck homestead and the church was
a log house in which Wm. C. Buck lived for a time after his first marriage.
Buck wrote that he was "baptized by Rev. Benjamine Daws
on the North branch of the Shenandoah, on the fourth Sabbath in April, 24th
day, 1808." He was ordained in Shenandoah County, Virginia. "The day that I was licensed was the
22nd of August 1812, and the next day I was just 22 years of age. From that time I have devoted myself to the
work of the ministry."
William Calmes Buck was a 1st Lieutenant in the
Second regiment of the Virginia Milita in the War of 1812. He preached his first sermon in uniform. After the War of 1812, he returned to Water
Lick Church as pastor.
(... more to follow)
