James Warren Hale

 

James Warren Hale, my maternal grandfather, was, primarily, a laborer on the railroad but he was also an aspiring writer.  Beginning in 1942, and likely earlier, he wrote a total of 28 short stories, plays or novels –5916 pages -- in 35 journals.  The journals are a mix of hard cover “Record” books and spiral bound notebooks.  Most of his stories are very simple and written in ink with a small but neat cursive handwriting.

I recall seeing a few of these stories along with a typewriter on a table in the bedroom he used at the Askew Farm near Meridian, Mississippi.  This would have been in the late 1950s.  I thought there were only a few stories.  After his death in 1966, his daughter, Jeannette Hill, kept the manuscripts.  Jeannette died in 2004.  After the death of her husband John in 2018, I asked their son, John if he was aware of the stories and if they were anywhere to be found.  John eventually found the manuscripts in an old suitcase.  John gave the manuscripts to me and I began to study them.

I typed three of his stories, including his autobiographical “Railroad Man” and have now put them in a book, “The Times, Life and Stories ofJ. W. Hale” along with some genealogical information.  The book also includes a short autobiography about growing up in the late 1800s that was written by Dr. R. E. Hale, brother of J. W. Hale as well as a history of the Elizabeth Presbyterian Church that they attended.  I’ve self-published this book on Amazon in both paperback and ebook format so others have access to it.

Frankly, these are not good stories but I’m pleased to have them.  They tell a little more about the grandfather that I barely knew.  In particular, his autobiographical sketch, “Railroad Man”, provides a lot of background information. 

My grandfather may not have actually intended for his stories to be read but I’m pleased to make him a published author.

William Calmes Buck's Children: Robert Luther Buck (1816-1866)

Robert Luther Buck was the son of William Calmes Buck and his first wife, Maria Lewright (1795-1822). He was born in Virginia on August 4, 1816 before Wm. C. Buck and Maria moved to Kentucky in 1820 and accompanied them on that trip. 

In his memoirs, Wm. C. Buck describes how Robert was accidentally shot in his leg.  In 1833 when Robert was 17, he and his cousin “young Mr. Field” (probably John Field) were planning to go hunting when John accidently fired his rifle into the calf of Robert’s leg from a distance of two feet.   Since they lived on a remote farm in Union County, Kentucky, Wm. C. Buck was the “doctor”.  Fortunately, Robert recovered but he was confined to the house for about six weeks.

The early education of Robert Luther Buck was probably under the tutelage of his father in the wilderness of Union County, Kentucky.  By the time his father relocated to Louisville in 1836, Robert was 20 years old.  It is likely that Robert Luther Buck received some of his formal education at Georgetown College in Kentucky which was founded in 1829.  His father, Wm. C. Buck had a close association with the college and apparently taught there for a few months in 1839.  Also, Robert’s brothers, William Thomas, Charles and Giddings attended Georgetown.

Robert Luther Buck became a doctor but his medical school is not known.  He also had a pharmacy, a retail store, was active in politics and was a district attorney.

In 1845, R. L. Buck was living in Woodville, Wilkinson County, Mississippi but his reasons for moving there are not known.

In 1850, Robert Luther Buck, his wife Elizabeth and two children were living with James A. Smith, Deputy Sherriff, in Wilkinson County, Mississippi.  Although the census lists James A. Smith first for the household, the value of the real estate ($5000) is shown for R. L. Buck so the house and land might have belonged to Buck.  By 1852, Robert Luther Buck and his family had moved to Jackson, Mississippi.

Robert Luther Buck married Elizabeth Stewart (1828-1887) of Woodville, Mississippi and together they had 12 children.  All of their children were born in Mississippi.  Many of their children did not have long lives. Robert Luther Buck and Elizabeth Stewart had the following children:

• ·        William Stewart Buck (1846-1871)
• ·        Frances Buck (1848-1925); married Jones S. Hamilton, 1877
• ·        James Duncan Buck (1849-1850)
• ·        Robert Luther Buck (1851-1852)
• ·        Charles Buck (1852-1906)
• ·        Claiborne Cage Buck (1854-1861)
• ·        Mary Elizabeth Buck (1856-1925)
• ·        Amanda Stewart Buck (1858-1939)
• ·        (unnamed) Buck (1860-1860)
• ·        Jennie Cage Buck (1862-1929)
• ·        Robert LeWright Buck (1863-1893)
• ·        Ellen Stewart Buck (1864-1865)

R. L. Buck apparently pursued occupations other than medicine but in 1852, he “resumed the practice of his profession in Woodville” according to the Woodville Republican newspaper.  He was in partnership with Dr. H. R. Buck (Horace R. Buck (1826-1897), son of Charles Buck II and Lucy Chilton Bayliss???)

In 1853, Dr. Buck represented Wilkinson County at the Mississippi Whig State Convention.

In 1858, having moved to Jackson, Mississippi, R. L. Buck was a member of a committee appointed for purposes of establishing Jackson High School.  He was also elected District Attorney for the third district.

In 1859, Dr. Buck was chairman of a committee in Jackson, Mississippi that was attempting to establish a “Female Seminary”.

On November 21, 1860, Dr. Buck was a member of a citizens committee in Jackson that expressed their support of South Carolina’s intent to secede from the Union.  South Carolina had stated this intention on November 9 but did not formally secede until December 20.

When Jackson fell to the Union Army in 1863, Robert’s half-sister, Emma Buck, wrote in her diary that the Union army had confiscated his horse and all his meat.

In 1865, Dr. Buck was a partner in “Buck, Baley & Co.” – a pharmacy in Jackson located on State Street that also sold various building supplies and household goods.

"He was a very fine physician, a polished gentleman and genial friend, proud of his family and devoted to his father, whom he delighted to honor."   --  John Thomas Buck, 1896

Robert Luther Buck died on January 15, 1866 in Jackson, Mississippi six years before his father, Wm. C. Buck, died in Texas.  Robert Luther Buck was buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi.

Elizabeth Stewart Buck died in Jackson, Mississippi on July 31, 1887.  She was said to have never recovered from the death of her husband but devoted herself to the care of others, especially children.  After the death of R. L. Buck, Elizabeth Stewart Buck lived in Jackson with her daughter, Fannie Buck Hamilton and her extended family, until her death.  She was buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi alongside her husband.

William Calmes Buck: Kentucky

(Continuing posts about William Calmes Buck)

About 1820, William Calmes Buck moved to the “wilderness” of Kentucky (Union and Woodford counties) where he founded several churches but supported his family by farming because preachers were not paid at the time.

David E. Buck noted " . . . Buck steered Kentucky Baptists through the very turbulent years 1820 - 1850, when bitter opposition to missions and salaried ministers almost did in the Baptist cause in that frontier state.   . . . For fifteen years William preached in small churches around Union and Woodford Counties, almost complete wilderness.  Paid nothing for his gospel labors (he later wrote his total receipts for his first twenty-four years in the ministry were $724, mostly merchandise!), Buck farmed to support his family of five."

In later years in Kentucky, Wm. C. Buck was founder and first pastor of the East Baptist Church of Louisville, editor of the state Baptist paper, compiler and publisher of a Baptist hymnal, and co-founder of a Bible society which later merged with what is now the American Bible Society.  Upon leaving Kentucky, he held a denominational post in Nashville, Tennessee and later was pastor of the First Baptist Churches of Greensboro, Alabama and Selma, Alabama and Columbus, Mississippi. 

While living in Louisville, Wm. C. Buck was appointed president of the (Baptist) American Indian Mission Association.  In 1845, he submitted to the U. S. 28^th Congress their recommendations for the welfare of the American Indian tribes.  The recommendations can be summarized as:

1. Boundaries for Indian Territory to be fixed per a Senate bill of 1837 (which was not passed)
2. A central tract to be used for Government of the Indian Territory by all tribes
3. Representation of Indian tribes in congress
4. An educational program for the Indian tribes.

Buck was known for his presence in the pulpit.  Spencer wrote “Perhaps no other man ever preached in Kentucky that could command the attention of so large an audience in the open air.”

Wm. C. Buck was adamantly opposed to infant baptism.  His book, “A Brief Defense of the Antiquity, History & Practice of the Baptists” explained his viewpoint.  The book was based on two of his sermons which each lasted for three hours!

Wm. C. Buck preached the annual sermon before the Alabama state convention which met in Gainesville in 1858.  He then settled in Selma as pastor of its Baptist church.  In 1859, he again felt the need to publish his views and began a new paper, "The Baptist Correspondent".  His paper was in competition with the existing "Southwestern Baptist" and failed after two years.

(To be continued)