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 , , 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 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 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 is

p r obably the largest Clan Society and one of the earliest

formed in the United States. The 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.. Particularly,

not only athletic events, but the pipers that go to Scotland

to compete. One of our own here in Texas had won a gold medal

just last year in Scotland.

S: Now you are talang about Clan Buchanan, a piper of

the Clan Buchanan?

B: I certainly am.

S: Uh huh.

(TAPE SHUT OFF) BUCHANAN 8 B: Michael Cusack o f Houston, whose mother is a Buchanan; wears the Buchanan Tartan at all our Scottish events, has been playing the pipes here in the States at least fifteen years because he piped for us at our Salado Garnes fifteen years ago.

Michael had studied the pipes in Edinburgh and for years; and is now teaching piping and drilling the pipe band

at St. Thomas Episcopal School in Houston. This year he

competed, as a Buchanan, in the National Piping Contest in

Scotland and carne back with a gold medal. We are very proud

of our Michael Cusack.

S: You're talking about the National Competitrion, this is

in Aberdeen, Scotland, am I correct?

B: Well, there are other games in Scotland, too.

S: But, for instance , does your Clan or any of the

Clan Societies here in America contribute to Scotland directly?

Do you send them money? Or do you have scholarships for them?

B: Yes, there are scholarships which are sponsored by

several of the Clan Soci e ties , particularly those who wish

to study at Edinburgh University, and also study the piping

here and at Ba nner Elk College in North Carolina.

Let's see John Yo uel , Dr. John Youel, is a piper.

And his son is taking Scottish drumming each year at

Grandfather Mountain. They go for two weeks training before

the Garnes.

S: Well, now, Scotland has , I think, one of the finest

railroad systems in the world. Did they contribute anything

to the building of the American railroads? Over here? BUCHANAN 9 B: They certainly have. S: Could you tell us about that?

B: Well, not spe cifically, e xcept that they were the ha rdiest workmen in building the transcontinenta l r a ilroads throughout the United States, with the various railroad companies. I can't give you specifics other than that they were a large part of the railroad gangs in building the track lines. S: Did they contribute to the railroads in Texas? Railroads here in Texas were , of course , as we both know , very important, the development of them. Did they , say the Clan Buchanan, have any input in the development of the Texan railroads?

B: I can 't give you any specifics on that , except that some of the land was developed by the railroad companies from grants i n order to build the State Capitol, and helped to finance the building of railroads, throughout the State in much larger proportion than they could have financed otherwise . S : What? When they? As the various and sundry cla ns

developed, and I am talking specifically of Texa s, what did they ge t into? Were they f armers? Or , strictly stone masons? Or silver artisans? Or , specifically, what sort of work did they find themselves best suited f or?

B: I think you ' ll find that they added greatly to the culture; as you mentioned, in silverwork. But they were also

scholars who came as physicians. Some of our early physicians

were famous Scots, trained in Edinburgh . Many of them, also,

helped to establish Baylor Un iversity, which was originally BUCHANAN 10 B: down at old Washington (on-the-Brazos) and came up, subsequently, to Waco. Other university professors, many of them had their degrees from the University of Edinburgh. So

I would say that they contributed a great deal. And, also, in the musical line: the Scottish fiddlers and the early dancing of the reels from Virginia were originally from the

Scottish Country Dance.

S: They, of course, are famous for the bagpipe. Can you tell me how the bagpipe got started wiht the Scottish people?

Why did it become so endearing to the Scottish people?

B: Well, the bagpipe has a very ancient history. If you want to trace it back to the very rudimentary, bagpipe instru­ ments were back in Roman times. But more directly, it came through Ireland. You'll find many bagpipes in Ireland today.

Also, in a part of France: Brittany has a bagpipe that is quite similar to the Scottish bagpipes. But after the founding of Christianity, in ScotlaBd, which came over with St. Columbo

in say the third or fourth century/the bagpipes came over from

Ireland but were adapted more to the Scottish locale. They were used not only as acmeans of entertainment but of dancing

and then adapted to their culture of warlike activities , either

among themselves or against the English.

So "Ladies from Hell", kilted Scottish Regiments, became

famous for their bagpipes and their charges in World War I

and World War II. BUCHANAN 11 S: Well now , one other thing that to my mind, and I'm a

stranger, I've been to Scotland, but a stranger to the real

Scottish people, the heart of themi they are also famous for

Scotch Whisky. Now can you tell me why it is that Scotch

Whisky became so famous and is still so famous? B: Well, Scotch Whisky, I suppose, is special because of

the particular type of hops and basic materials that are grown

in Scotland that have their very distinctive flavor. And not

only do they have the various types of Scottish Whisky, but

they have the single malt which has become very famous

throughout the world in one type or another, such as Glen Fiddich.

But there are many others that are excellent.

So that, actually, that has become standard drinking

whisky, if you wish to put i-t that way, throughout the world.

In many areas, you ask for whisky, nothing but Scotch is even

known.

Bourbon originated in the United States, as a corn whisky;

and this is entirely different from the Scottish whisky.

S: Well, now, is--are there any distilleries or points of

production that the Scotch have been able to produce Scotch

Whisky here in Texas , for instance?

B: No, you could not call that a Scotch Whisky to my

knowledge. I don't know if they were ever able to actually

simulate . And they could not call it Scotch Whisky here. S: wel~ow, you, yourself, this is coming to you personally, you are, I believe, Air Force Retired, is that

correct? BUCHANAN 12

B: No , U. S . Army Retired Medical Corps .

S: U. S. Army Retired. Well now , where are you from in

Texas at the moment?

B: Well, at the moment I have retired in Ft. Worth, Texas.

And retired a second time from working with the State of Texas.

But I originally carne from Temple, Texas , i n central Texas , which i s about half way between Austin and Dallas .

S: You were in what units? Were any of the units Texas units? And I was thinking . . B: I was very closely associated in World War II in Italy .

I was with a Me dica l Center in Naples ; the 36th Texas

National Guard Division was just above and we had hundreds

of the wounded corne through my hospital from bitter fighting

at the Ra pido River below Cassino.

Subsequently, with the 94th Evacuation Hospital a bove

Rome , here we were very closely associated during months of

fighting at the Gothi c Line above Florence , Italy . We also

were closely associ ated with the Scots of the 8th Army , the

British Army , in Italy , as well as the Texas 36th Division.

S: Could you t ell us a little bit about your medical

studies: how you became a doctor? Was it here in Texas

tha t you went to school ?

B: Well , I had both pre- medical wo rk at the University of

Texas and Baylor University. And my first two years of medical

stu dies were at the University of Texas Medical Branch in

Galveston ; and subsequently , my clinical work at the

College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University in BUCHANAN 13

B: New York City . After two years at Br ooklyn Hospital ,

I pract iced on Long Island before Wor l d War II .

S : Well , do you have a specialty?

B: For twenty- five years I was a Ge neral Surgeon , t r ained a t Brooke General Hospital in San Antonio , with a four- year

Masters Degree in Gener a l Su rgery from the Baylor Graduate

School. S: And you have a fami ly?

B: Yes .

S: Tell us about your family .

B: My first wife sub sequen tly d i ed but we had two children:

the oldest , a girl , Marilyn , is now 37 years of age with

four children : two girl s and two boys. One i s James

Buchanan Hinkle . I a l so have a son who is 33 years o l d , and

after his military service , has two Masters Degr ees in Hospital

and Public Administration . He has a son , David Houston

Buchanan II . Three Arren Calvin Buchanans were sufficient

for the State of Texas . With our full encouragement , he named

his son after my older brother , David Houston Buchanan, deceased.

S : Now they are all in the Texas area?

B: My daughter and her four children-- family--l i ve in

Houston where she works as a vocational nurse .

My s on is a h ospital administrator with National Medical

Enterprises , Inc. , based in New Orleans , currently working

in Corpus Christi, Texas. He will be moving there as

Administrator (CEO ) Physicians and Surgeons General Hospital ,

bringing his wife a nd son, April 1 , 1985, to live in BUCHANAN 14

B: Corpus Christi. S: So you can claim that your family started here in the

State of Texas and you are continuing to put your roots even deeper into the State of Texas by your progeny. Isn ' t that correct? B: That's entirely correct .

As my father used to say, if you spend three years in

Texas, you'll never leave it. And so many who came here in

the military have come back to live in Texas.

S: Yes , there are a large number of military retirees

here in the State of Texas that we know; but I certainly

appreciate your giving this run-down on the Scottish people

and yourself; your own family; your accompishments since

the days of the Alamo . That's a long time ago and a very

basic stone , you might say , upon which all of Texas history

is seemingly built!

So , thank you, Sir , for the very interesting program.

B: Well, thank you , Jim, it ' s been a pleasure talking

with you about Texas.

END OF TAPE I

Side I approximately 30 minutes