Laban Estes BUCHANAN was born in TN (from obit, military records, we think Davidson Co.) on Oct. 21, 1826-27, died in Victoria Co, TX on Jan. 8, 1910 and was buried in Fordtran Cemetery, Victoria Co. TX.

He married Martha J. SAULMON (sometimes seen as Solomon, of Smith Co, TN) circa 1855 and they had 4 children that lived to adulthood -- Martha E. "Mattie" BUCHANAN who married Joshua BRANCH (she born in Smith Co., he possibly Wilson Co), Sarah C. BUCHANAN who married Hugh Mack MIDGETT (she born in Smith Co, he in Wilson Co., TN), Robert Thomas BUCHANAN who married Mary Green BARNETT (both born in TN), and Elijah John BUCHANAN who married Cora HUDGENS (he was born in Smith Co, TN, she was from IL).

Laban and wife Martha may have used a naming pattern in naming their children as Martha's parents were Elijah and Martha SAULMON. Perhaps the names of their first son, Robert Thomas, offer clues to his father's and/or grandfather's names.

From a family Bible of a later descendant, we found these clues: Laban may have had a brother named Jim, who may have lived in KY, and Laban and Jim were "orphans," whatever that notation meant written by a descendant a couple of generations later. We have searched records in Davidson, Smith, Wilson Co. TN and are still looking at Giles and Lincoln Co. If Laban and Jim were orphans, we hope to find guardianship records, will, something :)). They perhaps were orphaned at adulthood.

Laban BUCHANAN and family, along with other families from TN, among them the MIDGETT family, started for Missouri ca 1881-82 (see excerpt). The BUCHANAN and MIDGETT families went on to IL, where the MIDGETT families had relatives. They were there abt 16-18 years before moving to the Victoria Co, TX area. This is an excerpt from a bio written by Laban's grandson, Lacy D. MIDGETT, in 1940, about himself::

"In the fall of 1882, his parents [i.e., Hugh M.MIDGETT & Sarah C. BUCHANAN] and family with a caravan left Tenn seeking homes in the "Western Empire in the vacinity (sic) of Springfield Missouri. Disinheartened by a near fatal accident while crossing the St. Francis River and continued rains, muds and mountains, the caravan circled a large tree and started back. We Midgett families went back by Southern Ill. to visit Grandmother Midgett's sister family John and Parker White."

I have found Laban Buchanan in the 1860-1880 Smith Co, TN census, 1891 Williamson Co, IL Tax List and the 1900 Victoria Co, TX census. On census records, he reports both parents born in TN. He enlisted in the US Army in Nashville in May 1848 and was discharged July 1853 at Ft. McKavett, TX. He fought in the Mexican and Indian Wars (probably stationed in TX) and received a pension for that service. I have requested his pension file and am awaiting its arrival (quite anxiously!). After his military service, he returned to TN where he married.

We feel his first/middle names offer clues, and have found records of a Laban ESTES in TN ca 1814-1825 from court records. We have been unable to make a connection, however.

Any help/hints/clues on finding the parents and siblings of Laban Estes BUCHANAN would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.