Robert F. Bunting, Frontier Preacher

[Traces]

Traces of Texas reader Karen Richards graciously sent in this nice photo of her Great Great Great grandfather, Robert Bunting, who led an interesting life. Per Karen:

 

"My great-great-great Grandfather was Robert Franklin Bunting.

 

He was attached to "Terry's Texas Rangers," official name the Eighth Texas Cavalry, during the Civil War. He served as chaplain and regimental historian from 1861-1865. He was not born a Southerner though. He was from Pennsylvania, and went to Seminary at Princeton University. He had a boyhood dream of living in the frontier state of Texas, so at his request, he was ordained as an "evangelist to Texas" arriving in 1852.

 

These are words he wrote later about his first days in Texas: "I was a stranger in a strange land, far from kindred and home. The unsettled empire before me was greater in extent than New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, and the New England states. I knew not a soul in all that vast land, and the sense of loneliness was almost overpowering."

 

Bunting founded churches in central Texas and visited them once a month on horseback, traveling up and down the Colorado River. He was sickened by yellow fever, which took the life of his first wife shortly after marriage. He wrote: "I was so broken from chills and fever that I could no longer ride the circuit, and take care of my churches." He moved to San Antonio and founded the First Presbyterian Church, which still stands today.

 

Bunting married my great-great-great Grandmother in 1860, Chrissinda Sharp Craig from Ohio.

 

As the conflict between the Northern and Southern states grew, Chrissinda left San Antonio and went home to Ohio. Her family were ardent abolitionists;

 

Bunting left Texas and tried to rejoin his wife in 1861 but was stopped at the Kentucky-Ohio border by the military. They told him it was not safe for a man who was a "Southern sympathizer" to cross the line, and they barred him from crossing. Instead, he affixed as chaplain of the Eight Texas Cavalry who were stationed at the time in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Bunting also operated a private postal service for Texas troops in the war.

 

He wrote letters as "war correspondent" for several Houston newspapers and the San Antonio Herald. 95 of his letters made it back to be published in newspapers of the day.

 

Chrissinda's brothers - also ministers - wore the Federal uniform and her neighbors had threatened to hang her husband from the nearest lamppost should he return to Ohio.

 

In 1864, after more than three years separated, husband and wife were reunited.

 

Chrissinda and their four-year-old little girl (who is my great-great Grandmother) were given "safe conduct passes" signed by the Secretary of War, and they travelled to Bunting, who was then in Alabama, founding a Texas Hospital for Texas soldiers.

 

During their years apart, Chrissinda had been home in Ohio, where her brothers wore the Federal uniform and her neighbors had threatened to hang her husband from the nearest lamppost should he return to Ohio.

 

Bunting died in 1891. His letters, in 2006 were published a book titled "Our Trust is in the God of Battles" edited by Professor Thomas Cutrer."

 

Thank you, Karen. That's quite a story, and Robert Bunting has quite a face!

 

[dischfalkjohnnie]

16 hours ago, Traces said:

Traces of Texas reader Karen Richards graciously sent in this nice photo of her Great Great Great grandfather, Robert Bunting, who led an interesting life. Per Karen:

 

"My great-great-great Grandfather was Robert Franklin Bunting.

 

He was attached to "Terry's Texas Rangers," official name the Eighth Texas Cavalry, during the Civil War. He served as chaplain and regimental historian from 1861-1865. He was not born a Southerner though. He was from Pennsylvania, and went to Seminary at Princeton University. He had a boyhood dream of living in the frontier state of Texas, so at his request, he was ordained as an "evangelist to Texas" arriving in 1852.

 

These are words he wrote later about his first days in Texas: "I was a stranger in a strange land, far from kindred and home. The unsettled empire before me was greater in extent than New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, and the New England states. I knew not a soul in all that vast land, and the sense of loneliness was almost overpowering."

 

Bunting founded churches in central Texas and visited them once a month on horseback, traveling up and down the Colorado River. He was sickened by yellow fever, which took the life of his first wife shortly after marriage. He wrote: "I was so broken from chills and fever that I could no longer ride the circuit, and take care of my churches." He moved to San Antonio and founded the First Presbyterian Church, which still stands today.

 

Bunting married my great-great-great Grandmother in 1860, Chrissinda Sharp Craig from Ohio.

 

As the conflict between the Northern and Southern states grew, Chrissinda left San Antonio and went home to Ohio. Her family were ardent abolitionists;

 

Bunting left Texas and tried to rejoin his wife in 1861 but was stopped at the Kentucky-Ohio border by the military. They told him it was not safe for a man who was a "Southern sympathizer" to cross the line, and they barred him from crossing. Instead, he affixed as chaplain of the Eight Texas Cavalry who were stationed at the time in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Bunting also operated a private postal service for Texas troops in the war.

 

He wrote letters as "war correspondent" for several Houston newspapers and the San Antonio Herald. 95 of his letters made it back to be published in newspapers of the day.

 

Chrissinda's brothers - also ministers - wore the Federal uniform and her neighbors had threatened to hang her husband from the nearest lamppost should he return to Ohio.

 

In 1864, after more than three years separated, husband and wife were reunited.

 

Chrissinda and their four-year-old little girl (who is my great-great Grandmother) were given "safe conduct passes" signed by the Secretary of War, and they travelled to Bunting, who was then in Alabama, founding a Texas Hospital for Texas soldiers.

 

During their years apart, Chrissinda had been home in Ohio, where her brothers wore the Federal uniform and her neighbors had threatened to hang her husband from the nearest lamppost should he return to Ohio.

 

Bunting died in 1891. His letters, in 2006 were published a book titled "Our Trust is in the God of Battles" edited by Professor Thomas Cutrer."

 

Thank you, Karen. That's quite a story, and Robert Bunting has quite a face!

 

That is WAY cool!! My folks came here in 1826. When I my dad and stepmom lived in San Antonio, they attended First Pres! I've worshipped there many times!