Person:John Buchanan (106)

Watchers
Maj. John Buchanan, of Davidson County, TN
  1. Maj. John Buchanan, of Davidson County, TN1759 - 1832
  2. Jane 'Jennie' Buchanan1760 - 1802
  3. Alexander Buchanan1763 - 1787
  4. Nancy Buchanan1764 -
  5. Samuel Buchanan1765 - 1786
  • HMaj. John Buchanan, of Davidson County, TN1759 - 1832
  • WMargaret KennedyBef 1769 - Bef 1791
m. 1786
  1. John Buchanan, II1787 -
  • HMaj. John Buchanan, of Davidson County, TN1759 - 1832
  • WSarah Ridley1773 - 1831
m. 15 Oct 1791
  1. George Buchanan1792 - 1816
  2. Alexander Buchanan1794 - 1836
  3. Elizabeth "Betsy" Buchanan1795 - 1875
  4. Jane Trindle Buchanan1802 - 1837
  5. Moses Ridley Buchanan1806 - 1887
  6. Charles Bingley Buchanan1809 - 1856
  7. Henry Ridley Buchanan1814 - 1898
  8. Nancy Mulherin Newsom Buchanan1818 - 1873
Facts and Events
Name Maj. John Buchanan, of Davidson County, TN
Gender Male
Birth? 12 Jan 1759 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Marriage 1786 to Margaret Kennedy
Marriage 15 Oct 1791 Nashville, Davidson County, Tennesseeto Sarah Ridley
Death[1] 7 Nov 1832 Davidson County, Tennessee
Estate Inventory? 17 Feb 1836 Davidson County, Tennessee
Person:John Buchanan (106)

Contents

Template:Register:XXXX Buchanan (YY)
Source Materials
Explanation
Register
GeoGroups
Disambiguation
Notebooks
Analysis
Bibliography
Dispersion
Issues

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Overview

The life story of John Buchanan, or Major John Buchanan as he is commonly known, is given by his grandson, Thomas Buchanan. The following overview is based on Thomas' discussion of his grandfather. Validation of what he has to say is needed, but given his proximity to the subject of this article, Thomas' information about the family history seems credible. On the other hand, the grandson was writing in 1898, some 150 years after he birth of his grandfather. Some elements of Thomas' story are easily shown to be in error (we can be confident that James did not settle in Kentucky in 1774, as the Boone Party did not complete the journey to Kentucky until after that date.

John's parents, James Buchanan and Jane Trimble, are said to have come from Ireland sometime before 1759, with two of James brothers. One of the brothers immediateloy rturned to Ireland, but the other two settled near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Here John was born in 1759. John was the eldest child; his siblings included two brothers, Alexander and Samuel, and two sisters, Nancy and Jane.

Sometime around 1770 James moved to the area of Guilford Courthouse in North Carolina, stayed in that area for a few years, and then moved to the area of Danville Kentucky. [3], and shortly thereafter to the Cumberland Settlement. According to Thomas:

MAJOR JOHN BUCHANAN, with his father's family, left Danville, Kentucky, for the Cumberland country with the fond hope of finding a permanent home. They arrived where Nashville is now located December 14, 1778, and crossed the Cumberland River on the ice at the mouth of Sulphur Spring branch. On his arrival he found General James Robertson and one other man living in log cabins on the bluff of the Cumberland River where the county jail now stands. The third house erected was built by Buchanan and his comrades. [4]

James and his family did not fare well during these early years. His second son, Alexander was killed by the Indians in Nashville in 1781 in an attack on the fort. Youngest son Samuel was killed "a mile below the fort on Mill Creek. He was plowing near Buchanan fort when the Indians, in ambush, cut him off from the fort and help. James Buchanan, himself, "after becoming old and helpless, was killed by the Indians in 1792 as he sat in his humble cabin on Mill Creek, Tennessee, near the fort or Buchanan station."

At the same time as the his father was attacked and killed John and his family came under attack at "Buchanan Station". Thomas describes it as follows:

On the night of September 30, 1792 the combined force of three tribes of Indians, numbering 900 warriors, made an attack upon Buchanan station thinking from the simplicity of its structure and weakness of its defense to over-ride that "cow pen fort" so styled by the Indians. With true gallantry these brave men, like Spartans, stood to their posts, and with unerring aim with their flint rock rifles held the fort and defeated the enemy with the slight wounding of one man in the fort. One Indian chief was killed, and left near the fort, in the act of setting the fort on fire. From the blood and other signs left by the Indians there were many others killed or wounded. In the heat of the battle, the ammunition in the fort began to get scarce and Nancy Mulheron, sister of Major Buchanan, melted the pewter plates and dishes used by the early settlers and moulded them into bullets, and carried them while hot in her apron around to the men fighting. The men engaged in this battle were: Major John Buchanan, James Bryant, Thomas Wilcox, James O'Conner, Robin Castleman, James Mulheron, Thomas McCrary, Morris Shane, William Kennedy, Samuel Blair, Robin Kennedy, Thomas Durat, George Finalson, Charles Herd, Sampson Williams, John Castleman, Samuel McMurray, Robin Turnbull, Thomas Latimer, Robin Hood, and James Thompson.

Personal Data

Personal Data
VitaDatumSource/Basis/Comment
DOB:1759[5]
POB:Harrisonburg, PA[5]
DOD:
POD:
Father:James Buchanan[5]
Mother:Jane Trimble[5]
Spouse 1:Margaret Kennedy [5]
DOM:1786[5]
POM:Cumberland Settlement[5]
Spouse 2:Sally Ridley [5]
DOM:1791[5]
POM:Cumberland Settlement[5]
Children by Margaret Kennedy[5]
Name DOB POB DOD POD Spouse DOM POM Dispersion and Notes
John Buchanan
Children by Sally Ridley

Footnotes

  1. Find A Grave.

    Maj John Buchanan
    BIRTH 12 Jan 1759
    Pennsylvania, USA
    DEATH 7 Nov 1832 (aged 73)
    Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, USA
    BURIAL: John Buchanan Cemetery
    Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, USA

    Patrick Harrison member #47476266 who is the 4th G-Grandson of Major John Buchanan shows Major John Buchanan was born in Cumberland County, close to where Trindle Springs is located. This would be in the state of Pennsylvania.

    Major John arrived in Nashville from Danville, Kentucky on December 14, 1778. At first the family lived at Fort Nashborough with others of the first settlers of Nashville, and building the third home there. In 1785, he moved his family about 6 miles east of the fort, and built his own fort, named Buchanan Station, on Mill Creek. They eventually built the first mill in the county here. The fort was repeatedly attacked by Indians, most notably on September 30, 1792, when a force of around 900 Indians attacked. The men of this fort fought back all night, killing one Indian chief and many others, but only having one settler slightly wounded.
    He was the oldest son of John and Jane Trindle Buchanan. His second marriage was to Sarah Ridley, who is buried beside him. A grandson of the son of his first wife was John Price Buchanan, a Governer of Tennessee.

    https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9046852/john-buchanan

  2.   MAJOR JOHN BUCHANAN was born at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, January 12, 1759, and was the oldest son of James and Jane Trimble Buchanan (of Scotch Irish descent). He was a brave old man with a liberal, generous disposition, endowed with the faculty of precaution and prudence, a well balanced mind, of sound judgment, a noble soul, and a spirit of keen susceptibility, having accompanied his father through all his meanderings over mountain and vale, sharing with him in all his trials, labors, dangers, and hardships incident to the first settlers of the middle states of America, greatly qualified him as a leader, protector and benefactor. The father, through age and infirmity caused by trial, exposure and hardship that the pioneers of the American continent had to undergo, became unable to maintain and defend his family. This duty devolved upon the son, he being the moving spirit and nucleus around which the hope of future support, protection and happiness of the mother and sisters clung. He necessarily assumed the care and responsibility of the family. The spirit of adventure so inherent in the father had its potent influence on the son. The wonderful accounts made of him through exploring, enterprising settlers of the beauties and fertility of the Cumberland Valley country, with its abundance of wild game that nature had seemingly turned loose to graze upon the luxuriant cane brakes and tangled pea vine that grew so profusely throughout this beautiful country; his ambitious spirit and love for adventure could be held in subjection no longer.

    MAJOR JOHN BUCHANAN, with his father's family, left Danville, Kentucky, for the Cumberland country with the fond hope of finding a permanent home. They arrived where Nashville is now located December 14, 1778, and crossed the Cumberland River on the ice at the mouth of Sulphur Spring branch. On his arrival he found General James Robertson and one other man living in log cabins on the bluff of the Cumberland River where the county jail now stands. The third house erected was built by Buchanan and his comrades.

    MAJOR JOHN BUCHANAN was twice married. His first marriage was with Miss Margaret Kennedy in 1786. By this marriage he had one child, JOHN BUCHANAN II. His second marriage was with Miss Sally Ridley in 1791. From this marriage there were thirteen children, nine boys and four girls. Their names were: George, Alexander, Elizabeth, William, Jane Trimble, James Bryant, Moses Ridley, Sarah Vincent, Charles Bingley, Richard Gregory, Henry Ridley, and Nancy Mulheron Newman.

    http://files.usgwarchives.net/tn/davidson/bios/bchnan01.txt
  3. . Thomas says this was in the year 1774, but this can not be right as the first successful move to Kentucky did not occur until 1775. Doubtless, James and his families were among the first settlers in Kentucky, but not in the year stated. Evidence for his presence in Kentucky at an early date is needed.
  4. This date can only be approximately correct. From the "Tennessee Encyclopedia"
    On December 22 he made his first entry in his "Journal of a Voyage, intended by God's permission, in the good boat Adventure, from Fort Patrick Henry, on Holston river to the French Salt Springs on Cumberland River." (1) During the four-month voyage, the hardy pioneers suffered Indian attacks, a smallpox outbreak, hunger, exhaustion, extreme cold, swift currents, and treacherous shoals.
    On April 24, 1780, Donelson's party reached the end of their thousand mile journey and were finally reunited with family and friends at the Big Salt Lick (now Nashville). Within a week of Donelson's arrival, Henderson prepared the Cumberland Compact, of which Donelson was the fifth signer.
    Thus, Donelson did not arrive in the Nashville area until almost two years after Thomas says the Buchanan's met him there.
  5. 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 [The life story of John Buchanan by grandson Thomas Buchanan.
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