Another book announcement! Sorry, fans of my novels, my latest publication is about genealogy; however, the sequel to my “Enchanted Journal” novel is nearly finished.

My great, great, great grandfather, William Calmes Buck I (1790–1872), was perhaps the most illustrious of my ancestors. Although much has been written about him, especially his ministry, I felt that his story deserved to be told in more detail. Fortunately, Wm C Buck (as he usually signed his name) wrote an autobiography. I have a transcribed copy of his autobiography and retyped it. This book includes some letters and excerpts from his daughter Emma’s diaries.

Wm C Buck was an American Baptist minister, author, editor, and publisher. Born in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, he was primarily self-educated. Still, he became a professor of religion at Waco University in Texas. Dr. Buck was the author of five books, a newspaper, and many religious tracts. He founded and pastored several Baptist churches, especially in Kentucky and Alabama.

Check it out at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BFWV2DX9.

William Calmes Buck: His Children

William Calmes Buck fathered 15 children – four with his first wife Maria Lewright and 11 with his second wife Isabella MiriamField.  Both of his wives died relatively young:  Maria at age 27 and Isabella at 42. 

Two of his children were stillborn and unnamed.  Another six of his children did not live to adulthood.

• Thomas Buck, son of Isabella, lived only 9 months.  He was buried in Woodford County, Kentucky.
• John Field Buck, son of Isabella, only lived less than a year before dying in Woodford County, Kentucky of "cholera-infantum" according to the notes of his father. He was buried in Woodford County, Kentucky.
• Paul Buck, son of Isabella, was a twin to Silas.  Paul lived less than a year before dying of "cholera-infantum".  He was buried in Woodford County, Kentucky.
• Maria Louisa Buck, daughter of Maria, died at age four in Kentucky from “eating pecans with the pith” only a few weeks after her mother died.
• John Samuel Buck, son of Isabella, died at the age of 4 in Louisville, Kentucky of "inflammation of the stomach and bowels" according to the notes of his father. He was buried in Woodford County, Kentucky.
• William Thomas Buck, son of Isabella, died at age 16 while at Georgetown College, Kentucky.  Apparently, his parents had high expectations of him, noting that "He was of great promise and departed in perfect hope of immortality." His father described him as "A most remarkable youth -- the hope of his Parents" and noted that he was 6' 1" tall, weighing 165 pounds at age 16.  ".. as remarkable for his mental as his physical precocity, and as remarkable for his piety as for either."  He was buried in Woodford County, Kentucky.

Little is known of these children who died so young.

The next several posts will focus on the adult children of William Calmes Buck.

William Calmes Buck: The Civil War

(Continuing posts about William Calmes Buck)

Although in his 70s during the Civil War, Wm. C. Buck served as a travelling chaplain, at his own expense,  to various Confederate Army sites and hospitals.  At first, his son, Silas, traveled with him but Silas soon joined the 12^th Mississippi Cavalry. 

During the Civil War, Wm. C. Buck wrote, published and distributed two pamphlets:

• “Are You a Backslider?”
• “Confession, A Fundamental Doctrine of the Gospel Economy”.

“Are You a Backslider” was a tract published for the army.  It begins with a question:  “Did you once profess allegiance to Christ, assume to be a Christian and unite yourself to the people of God in church relation?”  and closes with “… let me entreat you to read it prayerfully and carefully.”

“Confession, A Fundamental Doctrine of the Gospel Economy” was printed about the same time as “Backslider” and begins with a statement:  “All agree that faith is an essential doctrine of the gospel; but few seem to regard confession as holding so prominent a position in the great economy of grace.”  In his typical approach, Wm. C. Buck defines terms, refers to original Greek words and invokes various scriptures.  In closing, he asks “Have you honored the law of God by an ingenuous and prayerful confession of your sins to him who only can forgive?”

After the war ended, the Mississippi Baptist State Convention established the Confederate Orphans’ Home of Mississippi to care for the orphans of Confederate soldiers.  On November 10, 1864, Wm. C. Buck wrote to his sons from Lauderdale Springs:

I shall likely be stationed here for some time as the missionary to the Hospital or a Chaplain to Genl Superintendent of the Mis. Orphans Home.  The Bap. State Convention, which met at Crawfordsville lately resolved to raise $6000000 for the establishment of an Orphans Home for the children of the soldiers of this State.  They are about to purchase the Lauderdale Springs property for that purpose, and they have elected me to be Chaplain and Gen. Superintendent.  If they succeed in making the purchase, I shall immediately bring your sister over and settle there.  All however is as yet uncertain as to the purchase.

The Rev. T. C. Teasdale was appointed to raise funds for the Orphans Home.  He was able to secure enough money to purchase Lauderdale Springs which had been a hotel prior to the war.  Wm. C. Buck was temporarily placed in charge of the Home and children began to arrive.  Later, Professor Simeon Sebastian Cranberry of Mississippi College became permanent superintendent.

Isabella Miriam Buck

Isabella Miriam Buck was born May 6, 1785 to John Buck and Miriam Richardson. On November 1, 1805, she married Willis Field, son of Ezekiel Henry Field and Elizabeth Field, who was born in 1776.

Willis Field was a large landowner and prominent citizen of Woodford County, Kentucky.  His home, "Airy Mount", near Versailles is included in the National Register of Historic Places listings in Woodford County, Kentucky.  Airy Mount was built about 1796 but has been remodeled and expanded many times.  Airy Mount was named for its location on the summit of a low, wide rise, and has a commanding view of the gently rolling landscape in all directions.

Willis Field and Isabella Miriam Buck had the following children:

• Elizabeth A. Field (1806-).
• John Buck Field (1808-1833).
• Isabella Miriam Field (1809-1852); married William Calmes Buck I, June 30, 1829, in Woodford County, Kentucky; died in Nashville, Tennessee.  Emma Buck, granddaughter of William Calmes Buck and Isabella Miriam Field, wrote that Isabella Miriam Field was “a woman of beauty, fine intellect and saintly character”. William Calmes Buck I was to become a noted Baptist preacher, author, editor and publisher.
• Emmaline M. Field (1811-1836); married Major Humphrey Jones, 1830; died in Kentucky.
• Ezekiel H. Field (1813-1851).
• Ann Helm Field (1815-).
• Thomas Field (1816-1823).
• Willis Field (1818-); married Ellen Craig, 1842.
• Sarah Isabella Field (1819-1835).
• Charles William Field (1821-1823).
• Martha Amelia Field (1824-); married Richard White, 1843.
• Thomas McClanahan Field (1825-1908); married Susan M. Higbee, 1850.
• Charles William Field (1828-1892); married Monimia Mason, 1855.  He was a Major General in command of the First Corps, Army of Tennessee during the Civil War. 

Isabella Miriam Buck Field died on August 8, 1849.  Willis Field died on February 2, 1837 in Kentucky.