bors and the citizens of Lancaster. Here he lived quietly for the remaining seven years of his life, taking, however, a lively interest in public affairs and always supporting, with his influence as a private citizen, the maintenance of the war for the restoration of the union. His health was generally good throughout his whole life. After his final return to Wheatland he began to be attacked occasionally by rheumatic gout, and this malady at last terminated his life in his seventy-eighth year. His remains were interred in a cemetery near Lancaster. No man was ever treated with greater injustice than he was during the last seven years of his life by a large part of the public. Men said he was a secessionist; he was a traitor; he had given away the authority of the government; he had been weak and vacillating; he had shut his eyes when men about him, the very ministers of his cabinet, were plotting the destruction of the union; he was old and timid; he might have crushed an incipient rebellion, and he had encouraged it. But he bore all this with patience and dignity, forbearing to say anything against the new administration, and confident that posterity would acknowledge that he had done his duty. In 1862 he was attacked by Gen. Scott, who made several statements concerning the president's management of the Fort Sumter affairs during the last winter of his administration, which Mr. Buchanan successfully refuted. Mr. Buchanan's loyalty to the constitution of the United States was unbounded. He was not a man of brilliant genius, nor did he ever do any one thing to make his name illustrious and immortal, as Webster did when he defended the constitution against the heresy of nullification. But in the course of a long, useful, and consistent life, filled with the exercise of talents of a fine order and uniform ability, he had made the constitution of his country the object of his deepest affection, the constant guide of all his public acts. He published a vindication of the policy of his administration during the last months of his term, “Buchanan's Administration” (New York, 1866). See “Life of President Buchanan,” by George Ticknor Curtis (2 vols., New York, 1883).
BUCHANAN, Joseph Rhodes, physician, b. in
Frankfort, Ky., 11 Dec, 1814. He was graduated
as M. D. at Louisville university in 1843, and in
1846 to 1856 was professor of physiology in the
eclectic medical institute of Cincinnati. He was
dean of the faculty from 1850 to 1855, and edited
the medical journal connected with the institute.
He was subsequently connected with similar colleges in New York and Boston. Prof. Buchanan
has discovered what he calls the sciences of Psychometry and Sarcognomy, and claims to have
demonstrated the action of the brain on the body
as its controlling physiological organ. He published "Buchanan's Journal of Man," from 1849
to 1856, and has written "Outlines of Lectures on
the Neurological System of Anthropology " (Cincinnati, 1854), "Eclectic Practice of Medicine and Surgery" (3d revised ed., Philadelphia, 1868), "The New Education" (3d ed. New York, 1882), "Therapeutic Sarcognomy" (Boston, 1884), "Manual of Psychometry" (1885), and is preparing a volume on "Cerebral Physiology."
BUCHANAN, McKean, actor, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., 28 Feb., 1823; d. in Denver, Col., 16
April. 1872. He was the son of Paymaster McKean
Buchanan, U. S. navy. He was educated for the
navy, and served three years as midshipman on
the sloop-of-war " St. Louis." His first appearance
as an actor was made at the St. Charles theatre.
New Orleans, in the character of Hamlet, in which
role he made his appearance in New York in 1850;
but with little success. He visited England twice,
and also made tours in Australia and California.
His sombre and antiquated style did not please the
people of New York, and during the latter years of
his professional life he confined his labors to the
west, where he was very popular. Mr. Buchanan
possessed sterling merit as an actor and made many
warm friends.—His daughter, Virginia Ellen, b.
in 1866, has adopted her father's profession.—His
son, Thomas McKean, lieutenant-commander, U.
S. navy, b. in Bellefonte, Pa., 10 Sept., 1837; d. in
Bayou Teche, La., 15 Jan., 1862. He was graduated at the U. S. naval academy in 1855, became lieutenant in 1860 and lieutenant-commander in 1862. He co-operated with the national army in many battles on the lower Mississippi, and was killed while encouraging his men in the sharp action
at Bayou Teche. Parragut called him "one of our most gallant and persevering young officers."
BUCHANAN, Robert Christie, soldier, b. in Maryland about 1810; d. in Washington, D. C, 29 Nov., 1878. He was appointed to the U. S. military
academy from the District of Columbia, and after his graduation in 1830 served as lieutenant in the Black Hawk and Seminole wars. He was made captain on 1 Nov., 1838, and in the war with Mexico took part in numerous battles. He was brevetted major, 9 May, 1846, commanded a battalion of Maryland volunteers from 25 Nov., 1846, till 30 May, 1847, and brevetted lieutenant-colonel, 8 Sept., 1847, for services at Molino del Rey. He was made major in
the 4th infantry, 3 Feb., 1855, served against hostile Indians and in various positions until the beginning of the civil war, when he became lieutenant-colonel of his regiment and stationed in the
defences of Washington from November, 1861, till
March, 1862. He had command of his regiment in
the army of the Potomac during the peninsular
campaign, and afterward of a brigade of infantry.
He was engaged in the siege of Yorktown and in
the battles of Gaines's Mills, Glendale, and Malvern
Hill, and made brevet colonel 27 June. 1862. He
took part in the second battle of Bull Bun and in
the Maryland and Rappahannock campaign, in
November, 1862, was appointed brigadier-general
of volunteers, and in March, 1863, was placed in
command of Fort Delaware. In February, 1864,
he was promoted to the rank of colonel of the 1st
infantrv. which regiment he commanded at New
Orleans from December, 1864, till August, 1865.
In March, 1865, he was made brevet brigadier-general of the U. S. army for gallant conduct at Malvern Hill, and brevet major-general for services at Manassas and Fredericksburg, He commanded the district of Louisiana from January, 1868, till January, 1869, and on 31 Dec, 1870, was retired, on his own application, after thirty years of consecutive service. When retired he was in command of Fort Porter, N. Y.
BUCHANAN, Sarah, pioneer, d. in Buchanan's Station, Tenn., 23 Nov., 1831. She was the wife of Maj. Buchanan, in command of a frontier fort, and displayed much bravery on many occasions. At one time, while riding in the woods with a kins-woman, she was intercepted by a party of Indians, whom the women deceived by assuming the positions of men on horseback and charging on the savages with furious yells. During the war with the Creeks and Cumberlands in 1792 the fort was attacked by the Indians. When the bullets gave out, Mrs. Buchanan was at hand with an apronful moulded from pewter plates and spoons during the progress of the fight. She cheered the defenders of the fort in every possible way during the long
