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INSTITUTE OF TEXAN CULTURES ORAL HISTORY PROGRAM INTERVIEW WITH: Colonel Arren Calvin Buchanan, Jr. INTERVIEWER: Jim Sweeney DATE: January 19, 1985 PLACE: Air Force Village, San Antonio, Texas TITLE: The Scots in Texas Clan Buchanan (Society in America, Inc.) [Music is playing at the beginning of the tape: bagpipes.) S: Colonel Buchanan, I understand you are of Scottish descent and also a third generation Texan. Now that's quite a combination. Would you mind telling us a little bit about that? B: Yes, I'll be happy to, Jim. My great-grandfather, James Buchanan of Alabama, came with Stephen F. Austin's fifth colony, 1835, to what became Washington-on-the-Brazos. He was a farmer and built a log cabin down in Montgomery County. And he then was drafted into the Texas Army with General Sam Houston; and was subsequently killed in the Battle of the Alamo. And you will find his name, James Buchanan, of Alabama, on the north wall of the Alamo. His widow was given a grant of l a nd in 1844 by the Republic of Texas; and the grant was signed by Presiden t Sam Houston. My father was born on this grant of land, below Caldwe ll, in 1862, the son of James Houston Buchanan, BUCHANAN 2 B: the grandson of James Buchanan. So, therefore, we have roots that go back into early Texas history. Many of the Stephen F. Austin's colonists, as you see this was the fifth colony, were Scottish that carne across from the Ea st Coast. Another important colony which should be mentioned is the Sterling C. Robertson colony that colonized central Texas in the lS40's, also, with a grant from the Republic of Texas, which extended for nearly 200 miles. And, eventually, 33 counties of Texas carne from the Robertson grant; of these 22 are of Scottish names. So a large proportion of the Sterling Robertson colonists in the lS40's were of Scottish descent: such as, Bell County, McLennan County extending way on up into North Texas. My grandfather, James Houston Buchanan, born lS36, lived through and actually fought in the Civil War in the Battle of Galveston . My own father , born in lS62, c arne to central Texas from Caldwell when he was lS years of age , when the founding of Temp le, in Bell County, first occurred, lSSO-Sl, when the Santa Fe Railroad (and subsequently the M.K. and T. Railroad) carne through Temple. My mother, Pearl Pace Buchanan, was born there on the land, north of Temple; and , subsequently, married my father there. Do you have some other questions about the Scottish activities, Jim? BUCHANAN 3 S: Yes, Colonel, I'd like to know and have heard rumors, maybe you can confirm it to me, about the masons who built the State Capitol , the Texas State Capitol, were Scottish masons? B: Yes, that's true, Jim. We think of so many other Scottish activities; early Texas artistry . Many were silver­ smiths, doctors and lawyers, who helped to write the Constitution and Declaration of Independence for Texas . The State Capitol itself was built by Scottish stone mason s , imported from Aberdeen , Scotland, t o build the Capitol of Texas with red granite from Marble Falls, Texas. The 97-odd Scottish stone masons actually built it with such precision to a fraction of an inch that it is still standing today in perfect condition, nearly 100 years old . S: What sort of stone i s that that was used? B: The red granite was particularly located at Marble Falls, Texas, which is fairly close to Austin; so that it did not have to be brought l ong distances before all the railroads were completed in the area. The stone masons were well known for cuting stone and granite near Aberdeen, Scotland. S: Well, did t hey actually cut the stone that was used in the building? B: Yes, they actually cut the stone out of the native rock and granite near Marble Falls , Texas; close to Austin. S: And were any of the Buchanans involved in that work? B: Not that I am aware of ; there may well be because there were many other f amilies that had come in that we are not BUCHANAN 4 B: directly related to. The other Buchanans o f Bryan, of Dallas, allover the State. S: Have you , your family, the Buchanans--I gather from what you say, you mentioned the Alamo, that each generation had contributed a person to the military forces. Am I right in that? B: My father, born in 1862, was too young for the Civil War; and he was too old for World War I and II. However , my older brother, David Houston Buchanan, was in the Navy in World War I; and I originally volunteeered in 1942 for the Medical Corps in World War II. And then serve d some 28 years active in three wars. S: Now, in so far as the Scottish people are concerned now, you are active in their Societies, is that correct? B: Yes. I had grown up with the Buchanan Tartan on the sofa in my home as a youngster in Temple, Texas ; my mother and father had gone to Scotland on their honeymoon in 1914. And they had come back from Paris on the last ship out before World War I ended Trans-Atlantic Passenger Service. Before I retired from the military, I was stationed in Fort Lee, Virginia, and became quite active with the new Clan Buchanan Society in the United States, which had been formed in 1970, approximately , at Grandfather Mountain, Highland Games near Linville, North Carolina. On going to the games there each July, I subsequently became President of the Clan Buchanan Society in America; because we had Canadian and other nationality Scots that desired to belong to our Society. BUCHANAN 5 S: Is the Clan Buchanan Society very large? B: At that time there were just ten or twelve original members and now there are over four hundred family members throughout the entire United States, including both Coasts. They are represented in various Scottish Games : over eighteen Highland Games are sponsored by the Clan Buchanan Society in America. S: Well now, you say Clan Buchanan, exactly, what is a Clan here in the United States? Could you explain that? B: The Clans are designated as Societies in the United States rather than the formal Clans of Scotland. Since we are a social organizatian __ eBtirely , without actually owning lands per se for the Clan Buchanan Society. The Clan Donald is p r obably the largest Clan Society and one of the earliest formed in the United States. The Clan Campbell is also probably the second largest and oldest formed in the United States. These may have their hereditary Chieftains as guests at the larger games such as Grandf ather Mountain in North Carolina; there are usually over 150 of the Clan Donald, over 100 of the Clan Campbell, and more recently the Clan Buchanan has become the third largest representative with a 100 registered at Grandfather Mountain Highland Games. Incidentally, Grandfather Mountain is not the oldest Scottish Games in the U.S.A.; but it is probably the largest on an annual basis of approximately 65,000 Scots attending (about 110 Clan Societies and other Scottish Organizations are circling the meadow) . BUCHANAN 6 B: The oldest Games held are at Santa Rosa, California, where there have been 125 uninterrupted annual Games: they have approximately 15 t o 20,000 from the San Francisco area, Clan Buchanan Society is represented there in Clan tent (30 clan tents). S: Do you have any ideas as to how many true Scotsman there are in the United States? B: There are probably many more than are in Scotland. S : Is that right? B: Because of the migration of Scots after the Battle of Culloden in the mid-1700's, and the loss of property and the migration to Northern I reland , colonists came to America , to Panama, to New Zealand , and allover the world . But, yes , there ar1probab1Y several million of Scottish descent here , more than are in Scotland today. S: The national meeting you mentioned in Grandfather Mountain, is that held in that location every year? B: Yes, this will be the thirtieth year, annually, the second weekend of July each year at the same place above Linville, North Carolina, near Boone, North Carolina; the mountains there are known as Grandfather Mountain National Park. S: Why has that particular location been selected? B: That is probably the area or greatest a ggregation of Scottish descent anywhere because the country side is like the Highlands of Scotland. Coming from the coast of Virginia and the Carolinas, there are more Scots who display the BUCHANAN 7 B: arts and artistry of Scotland. S: Well now, you mentioned Santa Rosa Highland Games in California, and you have also mentioned Grandfather Mountain Highland Games in North Carolina. B: Yes. S: So there are two separate, different .. B: Highland Games? S: .. National. Highland Games? B: No. Highland Games are held allover the U.S.A. by local/regional Scottish Societies sponsorship. S: Highland Games. Now, do you have an international championship as, for instance, do the champs of the Grandfather Mountain go to some one spot to meet the Santa Rosa champs in a final .? B: Not per se, but many of the champion athletes of these athletic events--will compete in games in Aberdeen, Scotland. It is one of the most famous ones, but there are several games throughout Scotland in which they will compete.

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