Daniel
Buckner was born in South Carolina, September 30, 1801. His father,
Henry Buckner, was a personal friend and great admirer of Daniel Boone, and
named his son for that rugged and distinguished pioneer.
The
family moved to Tennessee, settling in Cocke County, when Daniel was quite a
lad. Here he was brought up on a farm, and here, in his 15th year, he
was converted, "walking twelve miles," we are told, to join the
nearest Baptist church the old Lick Creek (now the Warrensburg) Church, Greene
County. He was immersed by Caleb Witt in
the Nolachucky River.
In
1817 he was married to Miss Mary Hampton, of Cocke County, a granddaughter of
Elder William Dodson, of North Carolina, and a near relative of General Wade
Hampton. She was a woman of vigorous mind and strong character. To
this union were born five children, three sons and two daughters. The
eldest son, Dr. H. F. Buckner, was thirty-five years a missionary to the Creek
Indians. He translated into the Creek tongue the gospel of John and made
and published a grammar of the Creek language. The second son, B. B.
Buckner, was in the Mexican War, went safely through it, but died of sickness
the day after peace was proclaimed, and was buried in the City of
Mexico. The third child, Miriam Isbel, was the mother of Dr. A. J. Holt,
formerly of Texas, later of Tennessee, now of Florida. The fourth is Dr.
R. C. Buckner, founder of the "Buckner Orphans' Home" (Texas), the
largest orphanage, I believe, in the Southwest; also: former editor and
proprietor of the Texas Baptist and President of the Baptist General
Convention of Texas. The fifth, Ann Hasseltine, is a widowed daughter,
living with her brother in Dallas, Texas. We may also add, that Burrow
Buckner, a brother of Daniel, was a preacher of no mean ability, and that
there are in the Buckner family fifteen Baptist preachers, many of them able
and noted men in the denomination.
Elder
Buckner was licensed to preach in his twenty-second, year. He was ordained
(1827) by Chestua Church, Monroe County, Elders George
Snider and James D. Sewell acting as a presbytery. This church was
greatly blessed by the labors of Elder Buckner, who baptized large numbers
into its fellowship. He was the first Baptist to preach in Madisonville,
the county seat of Monroe County, preaching at first in the Methodist Church,
then in the Academy. 'Many people of the place turned to the Lord and to the
Baptists, and a Baptist church was organized, "March, fourth Saturday,
1828." In a little while a house of worship was erected, and Elders
Snider and Buckner were co-pastors for five years. The first fruits of
the Madisonville harvest were twenty-five converts, baptized by Elder Buckner
in one day, five of whom became ministers of the gospel. One of them was
Bradley Kimbrough, D.D., then a young
lawyer; another was Dr. Samuel Henderson, a distinguished editor of Alabama;
and a third was Dr. H. F. Buckner, missionary to the Indians.
Other
fruits of his labor in Monroe County were the organization of Ebenezer Church,
which he served as pastor for seven years, and the establishment of the
Baptist cause at Tellico Plains.
In
1831 he was called to the pastoral care of Zion Hill Church, McMinn
County. His pastorate here was a perpetual revival, resulting in about
100 conversions and baptisms. In appreciation of his services the church
made him a present of a home, consisting of a house and small farm also a fine
saddle horse.
He
then made a settlement with Big Spring Church on Mouse Creek, moving his
membership to that place. While living here and at Maryville, he sent
his oldest son, H. F. Buckner, to Maryville College, there being no Baptist
college or high school at that time in the State. About this time the
foundation of the Maryville Baptist Church was laid chiefly through the
instrumentality of Daniel Buckner.
In
the early "thirties" he was appointed "missionary" by the
State Convention (not our present State Convention, to be sure) to travel in
East Tennessee in the interest of missions. At that time there was
strong opposition to missions, and church doors, in many places, were closed
to the missionary.
For
the most part Elder Buckner had to, preach in the grove, the schoolhouse, or
in private dwellings. Wherever he preached he took a collection for
missions. If he couldn't get some one to pass around the hat, he would
pass it himself. The gospel of missions was preached by him in well-nigh
every county in East Tennessee. He spent a year and a half in Washington
County, preaching to some of the oldest churches in the State, indoctrinating
them on the subject of missions, and influencing the Jonesboro saints, it is
said, to move their interest in from the country and undertake to build up an
interest in town.
He
then moved to Bradley County and located in Cleveland when the first town lots
were being sold. Aided by his brother, Burrow Buckner, he soon
established in the new town a Baptist church. Dr. A. J. Holt remembers
distinctly bearing his grandfather say that he "established the
Madisonville, Tellico Plains, Maryville, and Cleveland churches."
His
remuneration as missionary was the customary 50 cents a day; his reward was
persecution, the reprobation of his brethren, such epithets as
"hireling," "traitor," "booted apostle."
The church of which he was a member was not in sympathy with his work, and on
his return from his first missionary tour called him to an account for his
strange doings. A charge was preferred against him for having been
connected with the State Convention, and, refusing to sever his connection
with that body, was excluded. The accused was not permitted to say a
word in his own defense. The wife asked that she might be excluded with
her husband, but was answered: "We have no charge against
you." She replied: "If I were a man I would preach missions,
just as my husband has done, and as I hope and pray my sons may
do." But the church refused to exclude her and she refused to
accept a letter of dismission. Elder Buckner demanded a copy of the
charges, and with that as his letter of recommendation, joined a missionary
church - his wife and oldest son, and a few of the members of the excluding
church, joining with him. He was published in the minutes of two
anti-mission associations as an "excluded minister"; but "the
Word of God was not" and could not be "bound," and mightily
grew the missionary spirit.
From
1839 to 1854 he was pastor at Somerset, Kentucky, adding 250 to the membership
of the church by baptism; and was afterwards pastor at Lancaster, Rock Castle,
Perryville, and Danville, Kentucky.
In
the summer of 1861 he moved to Texas, whither his son, Robert C., and his
daughter, Miriam, had preceded him. His faithful wife died on the way,
and was buried by loving hands in Clarksville, Texas. He was pastor at
Boston, DeKalb, and other places, in Texas; and in 1865 he was married a
second time.
At
the age of 70, his hearing having become impaired and being afflicted with
vertigo, he began to retire from the active duties of the ministry and to give
himself to reading, meditation and prayer. While he was a "solid
and uncompromising Baptist and preached a full gospel for more than
sixty-three years, it is pleasing to note the fact, that as he advanced in
years and ripened in grace, he became more charitable toward people of other
denominations, and often spoke with great love and tenderness of those whom he
regarded as in error." In his long and
useful ministry he baptized about 5,000 people, not less than
twenty-five of whom became ministers of the gospel. His ruling passion
was devotion to the cause of Christ.
As
to physique and mental characteristics, one who knew him well describes him as
a man of "powerful physical frame, standing erect six feet and weighing
250 pounds; voice powerful; mind strong and active; energy
unbounded." In a reminiscence of Dr. Sam Henderson is this further
description: "My father took me, when quite a lad, to a neighbor's house
to hear a strange minister preach. The occasion was a funeral
service. There was present a large concourse of people, attracted
thither, in great part, by the fame of the preacher, who in due time arrived,
and in an impressive way commenced the services. The preacher was medium
height, thickly set, with coal black hair, countenance slightly bronzed, and
sparkling eyes that would have been brilliant but for a soft. dovelike
benignity that at once awakened confidence and affection. The matter of
the discourse I did not fully understand, but the appearance and manner of the
speaker greatly impressed me."
We
may truly say of Elder Daniel Buckner, that he was a "good soldier of
Jesus Christ," that he was a fearless veteran who fought many hard but
successful battles for his Captain - laying his sword and armor by, at last ,
in his 84th year, to cross over and join the ranks of the church triumphant.
He
bad been living for two years with his son in Dallas. The night before
his death he sat up till about 10 o'clock, conversing freely with the
family and friends and discussing Bible questions with great "interest,
clearness and force." After the company had retired, he made
disposition of his personal effects, affectionately bestowing presents here
and there among his loved ones - then retired for the night. The next
morning, going out before breakfast for his "usual walk," he failed
to return. Anxious inquiry and search were made, and loved ones found
him where he had fallen. "His great heart had ceased to beat.
His great soul had gone to meet its Saviour. Reverently we laid his body
to rest and erected to his memory a plain marble slab, bearing, by request of
the departed, the inscription of verse seven of the 116th Psalm: 'Return unto
thy rest, 0 my soul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee."'
