Gideon Judson Buck, usually known as “Giddings”, was born on
April 4, 1840 in Louisville, Kentucky "at 7 1/2 p.m." according to the notes of
his father, William
Calmes Buck. His mother was Isabella
Miriam Field. Giddings was an educator,
soldier, lawyer and author.
Giddings would have received his early education in
Louisville. From around 1850 to 1853 he
and his brother Charles attended Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky
while their father moved to Nashville.
After the death of his mother in 1852, Giddings’ father, enrolled him, his
brother, Charles, and his sister, Emma, in Union College in Murfeesboro,
Tennessee. They boarded with the college
president, Dr. Joseph H. Eaton, a personal friend of their father. Giddings graduated from Union College with an
A.M. (Master of Arts) degree. Giddings
was a member of Phi Delta Gamma at Union College. He also was an instructor at Union College
before graduation. Giddings is sometimes
said to have graduated from Union College in 1858; however, the Union College
catalog includes his name in the class of 1857.
By December 18, 1857 Giddings’ sister, Emma, was in
Greensboro, Alabama where her father was pastor of the Greensboro Baptist
Church. Emma noted in her diary that
Giddings and much of her family, including her brother, Charles Willis Buck
were there. Apparently, Giddings and
Charles were planning to open a school nearby.
Instead of opening his own school, in 1859, Giddings Buck became
a teacher at Madison College, Spring Creek, Madison County, Tennessee. That college was destroyed by fire in 1876.
Giddings was said to be Professor of Ancient Languages at
Mississippi College in Clinton during 1859-1860; however, that source cannot be
found. From Mississippi College, he went
to Salado College in Texas.
Although some researchers have stated that Giddings Buck was
a founder and the first president of Salado College, Salado Springs, Texas,
this is not correct. Salado College was
created in 1859 through the efforts of three men: Carroll Kendrick, Hermon Aiken and Elijah
Sterling Clack Robertson. E. S. C.
Robertson, President of the first Board of Trustees, was probably the first
“president” of Salado College. Salado
College was incorporated on February 8, 1860 by Texas Senate Bill #40 but it
existed in 1859.
Giddings J. Buck became the third principal of Salado
College and was serving in 1862.
Giddings taught higher mathematics, ancient languages, and German. Miss Mary C. Halbert (future wife of
Giddings) also was a teacher at Salado College.
As the Civil War progressed, Giddings formed a cavalry
company and left Salado College in March, 1962.
Later he joined the 13th Texas
Cavalry of the CSA. Other Civil War
records show G. J. Buck in the 30th Regiment, Texas Cavalry
(Gurley’s) (1st Texas Partisan Rangers). Although Giddings is often referred to as
“Colonel” in genealogy studies, the records actually show that he enlisted as a
private and was discharged as a private.
He did not like military life, writing
“March
2, 1863
One
year ago to-day I closed up my business for the purpose of joining the
army. Then every ambition and glowing
anticipation was awake, hopes for my own humble efforts in helping to win its
freedom … And here I am now – what? A
driveling private in a despicable company under an imbecile Capt & Lieuts,
in a conscript regt.“
Giddings situation and attitude with respect to the Army did
not improve and he wrote on April 21, 1863
“Well,
the truth, if I must confess to myself, is, I’m getting woefully tired of
living among these ruffians.”
After the war, Giddings returned to Texas in 1865. Gideon Judson Buck and Mary Cottingham
Halbert, daughter of Isaac Newton Halbert and Ermina Slater Willson, were
married on July 3, 1865 in Coryell County, Texas – probably in Gatesville. Mary Cottingham Halbert was born on January 20, 1844 in
Lewis County, Kentucky. Like her
husband, she was well-educated. After
marrying, they lived three miles south of Waco where he studied Law and became
an attorney.
Giddings father, William Calmes Buck, and other family
members moved to the Waco area in 1866.
Giddings may have had a problem with his temper. On March 26, 1875, Giddings shot Dr. J. H.
Caldwell in the head during an altercation in Giddings’ office. The reason for the altercation is not
known. Giddings immediately turned himself
in and was freed after placing a $2500 bond.
The details and ramifications of the legal judgements and settlements
remain unknown. Dr. J. H. Caldwell
survived and continued to practice medicine.
Apparently Giddings was not jailed or disbarred as he was still a
practicing attorney in 1876 when he again got into trouble. In Federal Court on February 10, 1876, there
was some sort of physical altercation between Giddings and Judge A. J. Evans. Both were seized, both apologized and both
were fined $100.
In 1880, Giddings gave his occupation as Lawyer + Farmer in
the Census. By 1881, Giddings had moved
to Laredo and lived there for several years.
In 1881, he established the Gate City, a Laredo newspaper.
In a very complimentary article, the Waco News Tribune paid
tribute to Giddings daughters, Miriam and Nellie on October 1, 1932. The article noted that Miriam graduated from
Baylor in 1886 and began to teach in Pleasanton, Texas along with her father. After a few months at Pleasanton, Miriam and
Giddings opened a private school at Buda – a small town 15 miles southwest of
Austin. Giddings youngest son, Harrison,
was born in Buda, Texas in 1887.
The Census of 1900 does not show Giddings in Laredo or Waco;
however, his wife, daughter Nellie and son Harry lived in Waco at 1600 South 9th
Street. His wife, Mary, is shown as head of the household. The children were in school. The city directory for Waco in 1900 shows
Giddings J. Buck to live at 1600 South 9th Street and occupied as a journalist.
The census of 1910 shows Giddings as head of household in
Waco at 1824 South 9th Street -- the same street as the census of 1900. His wife and children also live in the
house. His occupation is “Own Income”.
Giddings wrote for various Texas newspapers including the
Waco Examiner, San Antonio Express and the Houston Chronicle. In the late 1890s, Giddings was travelling
about and lecturing, especially on the subject “The Creation of Man”. He put
many of these ideas into his book "The Free Christian" which he described
as "the result of sixty years of study and observation and written with
the object of serving God and mankind". This five hundred and eighty page
book, published in 1906, addressed conflicts between science and religion and
cost $2.18 in 1907.
·
Ermine Field Buck (1866-1944); married Offa S.
Lattimore in 1890. They lived in Fort
Worth and then in Austin. Ermine Field
Buck was a teacher; before her marriage, she was the first professor of
mathematics at Baylor College for women in Belton and also professor of
mathematics at Baylor University in Waco.
O. S. Lattimore was a teacher, an attorney, a member of the Texas state
senate and became a judge. He was a
deacon in the Baptist church, a Sunday School teacher and president of the
Texas Baptist General Convention. He was
a trustee of Baylor University and recipient of many honors and awards.
·
Miriam Olive Buck (1868-1951); lived in Waco,
Texas. Miriam received a Ph. D. degree from
Waco University, Waco, Texas. In
addition to her degrees from Waco University, Miriam Buck did post graduate
work at Yale, the University of Virginia and the University of Chicago. She also taught at Stranger, Reagan and
Temple before returning to Baylor where she taught English for twenty-one
years.
·
Raymond Halbert Buck (1870-1932); married Eula
E. Blackmore. Buried in Fort Worth,
Texas. Served in WWI. He was a rancher,
a lawyer and a judge. He also taught law
at the old Fort Worth University.
·
Mary Davidge Buck (1872-1876).
·
Gideon Judson Buck Jr. (1877-1895).
·
Oliver Halbert Buck (1879-1936); married Hilda
Smissen; lived in Kokomo, Indiana. Was
manager in a wire manufacturing factory.
·
Nellie Faulkner Buck (1881-1964); graduated in
1903 from Baylor University. After
graduation from Baylor, Nellie Buck attended graduate school at Yale
University. In 1904, she returned to
Waco and taught her first student -- a young girl who could not attend the Waco
public schools because she lived outside the city limits. Later, she founded Waco Academy which
eventually had six teachers and sixty students.
From 1904 to 1921 she taught at their home on South Ninth Street and then
moved the school to North Seventeenth Street.
·
Harrison Davidge Buck (1887-1959); married his
first cousin, Mary Susan Buck, daughter of Silas C. Buck and Georgia Rebecca
Titus. They lived in Fabens, El Paso County, Texas. He served in WWI. Usually called Harry, he was a merchant. In 1920, he was a grocery clerk; his wife was
a teacher. In 1930, he was an auditor
for a petroleum company. In 1942, he
worked at Westex Auto Parts.
Giddings developed throat cancer late in life. At the age of 71, while visiting his son Harrison in El Paso, he died on March 25, 1912. He was buried in Oakwood Cemetery, McLennan County, Texas. Mary Cottingham Halbert Buck died on February 5, 1915 at the age of 71 in Texas. She was also buried in Oakwood Cemetery.
