children:
- [M] Oscar Dewitte (b.5 Mar 1854 New York)
d.19 Oct 1932 Stanton, Montcalm County, Michigan
married Ruth A. ELLIS 20 Jun 1874 at Montcalm County, Michigan
- [F] Harriet Euphemia (b.22 Oct 1855 New York)
d.27 May 1927 Coral Cemetery, Coral, Montcalm County, Michigan
married Byron N. GAGE 5 Apr 1872 at Montcalm County, Michigan
- [F] Elizabeth (b.16 Nov 1857 New York)
d.20 Sep 1936 Dixon, Lee County, Illinois
married Omer HUFF
- [M] Alabam Butterfield (b.29 Jul 1959 Pennsylvania)
d.12 Jan 1888 West Pine Cemetery, Pine Township, Montcalm County, Michigan
married Sarah Jane BONGER 19 Feb 1880 at Montcalm County, Michigan
- [F] Margaret Estelle (b.11 Jul 1861 Pennsylvania)
d.1916
married James W. HAYES 23 Dec 1876 at Howard City, Montcalm County, Michigan
- [F] Rachel Lettie (b.22 May 1863 Pennsylvania)
d.17 Oct 1919 West Pine Cemetery, Pine Township, Montcalm County, Michigan
- [M] John Henry (b.22 Mar 1866 Maple Valley Township, Montcalm County, Michigan)
d.23 Oct 1957 Maple Valley Township, Montcalm County, Michigan
married Sarah STRYKER 9 Mar 1888 at Howard City, Montcalm County, Michigan
- [F] Cora Ann (b.30 May 1869 Maple Valley Township, Montcalm County, Michigan)
d.24 May 1936 West Pine Cemetery, Pine Township, Michigan
married George S. WHEELER 1886 at Greenville, Montcalm County, Michigan
- [F] Permelia Bell (b.8 Dec 1871 Maple Valley Township, Montcalm County, Michigan)
d.1951 West Pine Cemtery, Pine Township, Montcalm County, Michigan
married James W. FRIEDT 30 Mar 1892 at Montcalm County, Michigan
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fact sources and writings about this individual:
Robert Longwell Buchanan was born on 12 October 1832 in Minisink Township, Orange County New York. He was the 8th of 15 children born to William Buchanan (1797-1883) and Patience (Hazen) Buchanan (1804-1884). His father was a farmer but apparently did not own any land. According to census records the family lived in nearby Sussex County, New Jersey in 1850. Between 1850 and 1852 Robert moved west, probably with his parents (who lived in Potter County, Pennsylvania by 1860), and met his future wife Emily Maria Baker (born 19 Mar 1835), daughter of Elmer Chase Baker (1813-1881) and Betsy Ann (Newbury) Baker (1815-1885). Emily's father was a farmer and her family lived in Chemung County, New York. Robert and Emily were married on 6 Dec 1852 in the town of Southport, Chemung County, New York by William H. Knapp, ME Minister. Robert and Emily probably lived in this area of New York for several years, but by 1860 were living in nearby Oswayo Township, Potter County, Pennsylvania, where Robert worked as a farm laborer.
In about 1863 Robert and his young family went "west" looking for better opportunities. According to one family story passed down, Robert and Emily and the children traveled from Pennsylvania to Michigan via the Erie Canal with an ox-drawn wagon (if they took this route they probably passed through Ontario also). Robert may have come to Michigan earlier than 1863 to find land. As his great-grandson Austin J. Buchanan remembered the story, Robert worked for 2 years in lumber camps to earn enough money to purchase land, began working on the house and then returned to New York (or Pennsylvania) to bring Emily and the children west. In any case, he purchased forested land (possibly from a railroad company) in Maple Valley Township, Montcalm County on the east ½ of the northeast 1/4 of Section 10, town 11 north, range 9 west - just east of what was to become the town of Coral. After he began to cut trees and build a cabin on this land some Indians came by and told him the land belonged to them. He paid them for the land with an old gun and two plugs of tobacco.
In the early days on the newly purchased land Robert had to travel by foot to Greenville to obtain basic supplies. This trip took two days so on the way Robert would spend the night sleeping out by a fire. Emily stayed back at the unfinished cabin with the children. Sometime when Robert was away on one of these trips to Greenville (or perhaps later, during his service in the war), as the story was told, an Indian came by that Emily did not know. He talked in a language that Emily could not understand and by using hand gestures, indicated that he wanted to take her large iron kettle and that he would return it when the sun was so many hands high. Her kettle was of much importance to her as it was an essential for cooking and would have been hard to replace. She reluctantly gave him the kettle, thinking she would never see it again. The next day, the Indian returned with her kettle. The kettle was filled with wild game meat and was covered with fresh leaves to keep the meat clean. Another story told in the family is that before the cabin was finished and had a door, two or three Indians would occasionally come by the cabin and sleep next to the hearth overnight while Emily and the children slept in the loft. Emily got in the habit of cooking extra corn meal mush because she never knew when these visitors would come. She would set a pot of corn mush to cook over a low fire overnight, which the visiting Indians would eat before they left early in the morning. The Indians would sometimes bring a rabbit to cook in the mush. Other times they would leave a haunch of venison by the cabin door for the family.
On August 30, 1864 Robert enlisted in the Union Army at Grand Rapids and was mustered in as a Private in Company B, 3 Michigan Infantry. On his enlistment papers he was described as being 5 feet 11 inches tall, with blue eyes and light hair when he enlisted. While leaving a troop train in Decatur, Alabama, Robert slipped and fell, rupturing his left side (hernia). He was sent to the hospital at Huntsville Alabama on 28 Oct 1864. He later was moved to a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. He was honorably discharged on 18 May 1865, having spent most of his enlistment in military hospitals. According to his individual muster-out roll he received a $100.00 bounty and was still owed a $200.00 bounty. He was given "transportation and subsistence" to Grand Rapids, and at that time had in his possession a knapsack, a haversack and a canteen.
While Robert was away for this 10 months, Emily was on her own to take care of the farm and their six young children (ages 2 to 10). Family stories also relate that while Robert was away, Emily traveled to Greenville once each month with an ox-drawn wagon to collect Robert's army check, stock up on supplies and send and receive mail. Some of the encounters with the Indians mentioned in family writings probably occurred during this time. No doubt the meat they brought on their visits was very helpful to the Buchanan family.
The log cabin was eventually replaced by a frame house, which (after many modifications over the years) still stands. Austin John Buchanan remembered the original log cabin, which was located behind the house. In addition to farming, Robert worked at the shingle mill at Cowden Lake in Maple Valley Township. In the 1870 US Census, Robert's occupation is listed as "works in saw mill", value of real estate $1000. His son Oscar (age 16) also was listed as working in the saw mill. In other census years Robert's occupation was listed as "farmer". Robert must have written his family back in New York and Pennsylvania with favorable reports of life in Michigan, because his brother John Henry F. Buchanan (who later went by Buccanning, 1843-1895) moved with his own family to Montcalm County before 1880, residing Maple Valley Township and then in Stanton. In July 1890 Robert applied for a veterans disability pension because of his hernia. He eventually received this pension at a rate of $20 a month and this was later raised to $22.50 per month.
Emily (Baker) Buchanan passed away at her home on the evening of Sunday 16 August 1908. Her granddaughter, Loretta (Buchanan) Beardslee recalled that Emily had "heart spells" in her later years. After Emily died, Robert and his daughter Rachel Lettie (who had been disabled ever since she suffered from "brain fever" at age 2 or 3) went to live with Robert's daughter Harriet (Buchanan) Gage. For a time Robert lived at the Michigan Soldiers Home in Grand Rapids (he applied for admission on 25 Jun 1909 and was there at the time of the 1910 US Census). He returned home to Maple Valley Township sometime before his death on 14 Feb 1917. Robert and Emily Buchanan are buried at the West Pine Cemetery in Pine Township, Montcalm County, Michigan.
Obituary, The Coral News, Thursday, Feb 22, 1917, front page.
A VETERAN IS CALLED
R.L. Buchanan, a Pioneer Resident Here and a Veteran of the Civil War is Dead.
Robert L. Buchanan was born in Orange Co., NY in 1832 and died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Hattie Gage, at Cowden Lake last Saturday after an illness of several weeks. He was united in marriage to Emily Baker Dec. 6, 1852 and to this union were born nine children. His wife and two children preceded him in death. Mr. Buchanan was a pioneer resident of the township coming here in 1863. He was also a Civil War Veteran. In 1878 he united with the Church of Christ of which he has been a faithful member since and during his last illness talked much of being ready to meet his Master. He leaves to mourn his departure seven children, O.D. Buchanan, of Stanton, Mrs. Omar Huff of Dixon, Ill., Mrs. George Wheeler, Mrs. Hattie Gage, Mrs. Jas. Friedt, Miss Rachel and John Buchanan of Coral, twenty-four grand children and 38 great grand children and many friends. The funeral was held Tuesday morning at the Church of Christ, Rev. J.W. Curch officiating. Internment in Kendallville [West Pine] Cemetery.
Sources:
Writings of Austin John Buchanan;
"Buchanan Book", research conducted and compiled by Mildred Huff
Dolezal and Lorraine Dolezal Kildow, Omaha, Nebraska, 1973;
Lineage of Robert Longwell Buchanan, by David Wheeler;
Buchanan-Armitage Family History, by Yvonne Armitage Greene, 1996;
Civil War Pension Records of Robert L. Buchanan;
US Census;
Montcalm County Clerk Records;
Headstones;
Coral News.
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