Bios:  BUCHANAN, WILLIAM L., Indiana Co, PA

SUBJECT: BUCHANAN, WILLIAM L.
SUBMITTER: E.K. Warner
EMAIL: wgene@twd.net
DATE: Jul 23, 2000
PASSWORD>
SURNAMES: Creps, Rippey, Widdowson
as recorded by Prof. J. T. Stewart in
“Indiana County, Pennsylvania - Her People, Past and Present”
Published by J. H. Beers & Co., 1913 Reformatted by E.K. Warner, July
2000

WILLIAM L. BUCHANAN had extensive agricultural and mercantile interests
throughout his long business career, in various parts of Indiana county,
and is now living retired in the borough of Indiana, whither he moved
in 1904. Mr. Buchanan was born in Loyalhanna township, Westmoreland
CO., Pa., Feb. 27,1840, son of George Buchanan and grandson of William
Buchanan. The family is of Scotch-Irish extraction, and Mr. Buchanan's
grandfather was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, of Scotch parentage.
He and his wife came to this country from the North of Ireland, after
their marriage, and settled first in Butler county, Pa., where he
followed farming and distilling. Thence they removed to Westmoreland
county, Pa., where he died; in Loyalhanna township. His children were:
William, Arthur, John, George, Frances, Margaret, and perhaps others.

George Buchanan, father of William I`. Buchanan, was born in 1810
in Butler county, Pa., and in his youth attended the country schools
near home. When a boy he would gather hickory bark after his work
was done, to make a fire bright enough to enable him to study evenings,
and by perseverance he became a well-educated man, following school
teaching for some time. He learned the trade of carpenter, and was
engaged principally as a cabinetmaker and farmer. After his marriage
he located in Loyalhanna township, Westmoreland county, where he was
employed at his trade, and thence removed to Rayne township, Indiana
county, where he passed the remainder of his life, dying there in
1861, when fifty-one years of age. He was a devout member of the Wesleyan
Methodist Church and became quite well known in that denomination,
being a local preacher. But his absorbing public interest was the
subjection of slavery and the slave traffic. He threw all his influence
into the antislavery cause, and being endowed with considerable talent
as a campaigner and public speaker took considerable part in the abolition
movement in that capacity, as well as in his connection with the "underground
railway," by means of which he helped many slaves to escape and
gain their freedom. He was always outspoken and uncompromising in
his stand against slavery, and having the courage of his convictions
and the gift of presenting his views well was a strong influence in
the antislavery ranks for a number of years. In his earlier manhood
Mr. Buchanan was a Freesoiler, the only one in Loyalhanna township,
and he joined the Republican party upon its formation. His wife, Ann
(Irwin), was born in 1820 in Ireland, and early left an orphan, coming
to America with her father's people when twelve years old. She died
April 2, 1892, in Mechanicsburg, Indiana county, aged seventy-two
years. She, too, was a member of the M. E. Church. Mr. and Mrs. Buchanan
had a family of six sons and three daughters, the daughters dying
in infancy. The sons were William L.; James S., of Rayne township;
George, who is deceased; Dr. John I., deceased; Cyrus A., of Indiana;
and Harvey S., of Indiana.

William L. Buchanan was about fourteen years old when his father moved
the family to Rayne township, Indiana county, and there he grew to
manhood. He began his education in the subscription schools, his first
teacher being his cousin, William Buchanan, and later went to public
school. His first work for himself was as a farm laborer, working
by the month, and later he drove mules on the old Pennsylvania canal.
After coming to Indiana county he farmed during the summer season,
in the winter and spring being employed in the lumber woods and at
rafting. He served in the Union army throughout the Civil war, under
two enlistments. In 1861 he became a private in Company A, 61st Pennsylvania
Volunteer Infantry, under Captain Creps and Col. O. H. Rippey, of
Pittsburgh, enlisting in Indiana county, for three years. The command
was attached to the Army of the Potomac. He had assisted in the organization
of the company, and went with it to the front, seeing thirty-eight
months of hard service in the field before he was incapacitated. He
took part in the battle of Fair Oaks, the seven days' fight, the engagements
at Malvern Hill and Antietam, and all the battles of his command up
to and including Gettysburg, and subsequent activities. In 1863-64
he was a member of a light brigade of picked men from regiments of
different corps, who did skirmish and reconnoitering duty. After Chancellorsville
this brigade was disbanded, the men being returned to their respective
regiments. Mr. Buchanan had been promoted June 13, 1862, at Harrison's
Landing, to first sergeant. At the end of his term he was discharged,
Feb. 14, 1864, at Brandy Station, Va., and reenlisted for three years,
on the field, in the same company and regiment. He came home on a
thirtydays furlough, during which time he married, and after rejoining
his regiment again saw considerable active service until he lost an
arm at Fort Stevens, in the defense of Washington, whither the 6th
Corps, to which the 61st Regiment was attached, had been sent. They
met Early as he was moving out to the works in his march on the city,
and in the encounter Mr. Buchanan received a minie ball in his right
arm, close to the shoulder, his injuries being so severe that the
member was amputated on the field. He was taken to a hospital in Washington
and thence to a hospital in Philadelphia, from which he was discharged
Oct. 18, 1864. Up to the time he was wounded at Port Stevens he had
never lost a day's duty on account of sickness, though slightly injured
several times. He was in command of his company at the time, all the
commissioned officers having been either wounded or away on furlough.
The regiment stood first in loss of officers during the Civil war,
and ranked about fourteenth or fifteenth in loss of men.

From the time of his return from the army until his retirement a few
years ago Mr. Buchanan was engaged in farming, milling, stock dealing
and merchandising, having farms in Cherryhill (115 acres) and Green
(sixty acres) townships, Indiana county, and conducting stores at
Dixonville and Indiana. For several years he was located at Marion
Center, this county, engaged in the hotel business, and eventually
removed to the borough of Indiana, where he dealt in agricultural
implements for some years. Thence he removed to Dixonville, where
he was in business nine years, having a general merchandise store.
He retired shortly before the death of his wife, and has not been-engaged
in any active business pursuits since, now making his home in Indiana.
Mr. Buchanan was one of the organizers of the Marion Center National
Bank, and served as director until 1911, when he resigned. He is still
a large stockholder in the Savings & Trust Company of Indiana. His
ability and honorable dealings brought him success in his enterprises,
and he has had high standing in the various communities where he has
become known through his business associations.

Mr. Buchanan is a member of the Veteran Legion and G. A. R., Post
No. 28, and also of the Cosmopolitan Club of Indiana. In politics
he is a Republican but independent in voting, supporting what he regards
as the best men and measures.

On March 22, 1864, Mr. Buchanan married Mary Matilda Widdowson, of
Cherryhill township, Indiana county, daughter of Thomas and Jane (Lydic)
Widdowson, and she died at Indiana March 25, 1906. She (as a member
of the Baptist Church and one of its devoted workers, a member of
the missionary societies and interested in other church activities.
She is buried at Oakland cemetery. Three children were born to Mr.
and Mrs. Buchanan: Josephine, who died in infancy; George T., who
is a prominent merchant of Indiana, engaged in the wholesale grocery
business; and William Orrin, of Larimer, Pa., who carries on an extensive
mercantile business, having establishments at Irwin and Larimer, in
Westmoreland County, this State.




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