Monday, April 11, 2011

Baskins and the Civil War

I know I promised my next post would be on Adolphus McDuffie Baskin, but the plan has changed a bit. In honor of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, Ancestry.com has made many new records available for review, and I've taken advantage. Since tomorrow, April 12th, is the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War, I wanted to share some of these stories with you all. I've chosen a few individuals who I've identified pretty well as close relatives who would have surely known one another. Each soldier's story impacted the others and the family as a whole, I'm sure. Hopefully this inspires us all to at least think about that terrible war and what it did to and for our country...

(All stories based on the Compiled Confederate Service Records found at Ancestry.com/Footnote.com, Confederate Pension Records found at Ancestry.com/Footnote.com, and Confederate Pension Application obtained from the Texas State Archives by mail, as well as my own research into our family history.)

Moses H. Baskin

Moses H. Baskin was the son of John Alexander Baskin and Sarah Noble. He enlisted in Greene County, AL as a private of Company C, 11th Alabama Infantry, C.S.A. on June 11, 1861 for the duration of the war. He appears on the company muster roll from June 11-20, 1861 and July and August 1861. The muster roll for September and October 1861 says that he was last paid on Aug. 31, 1861 and was furloughed on 6th September for 6 weeks. He had been absent without leave since October 20th. Though he returned late from furlough, he did return. We know this because he next appears on a report of casualties in Anderson's Division in the engagements before Frederickburg, VA, Dec. 11-15, 1862. "Remarks: wounded since dead."
I haven't been able to find a regimental history for the 11th Alabama Infantry yet, but they were far from home in a cold winter in Virginia when Moses was killed. Frederickburg was a Confederate victory.

George Peter Keys Baskin

George P. K. Baskin was a 1st cousin once removed of Moses H. Baskin. His father, William Leroy Baskin, was the son of William Cander Baskin who was John Alexander Baskin's brother. Though his family lived in Mississippi, George enlisted at Opelousas, LA as a private in Company F, 8th Regiment Louisiana Infantry C.S.A. on March 22, 1862 for the duration of the war. He appears on the muster roll on April 30, 1862, Aug. 31, 1862, September and October 1862, November and December 1862, January and February 1863, and Feb. 28 to March 14, 1862. He was paid each time roll was taken. The rolls for May 14 - Aug. 11, 1863 list him absent - detached on General Ewell's Guard. He served in General Ewell's Guard from Jun 6, 1863 to his return to his company on Nov. 19, 1863, according to the muster roll taken in December 1863. The next roll on which he appears was taken a year later and tells us that George was killed on May 10, 1864. Remarks on his service record say that he was a student from Mississippi, age 19 when he enlisted, and was "A general favorite of all who knew him. A good and willing soldier."
George was listed as "absent - sick" for engagements occurring May 25 - July 1, 1862. He was present at Slaughter Mountain on Aug. 9, 1862, Bristoe Station on Aug. 27, 1862, and 2nd Manassas on Aug. 29-30, 1862. He was wounded at Chantilly on Sept. 1, 1862, so he missed the battle at Harper's Ferry on Sept. 15. He was "absent - on detail or duty by order" during the battle of Sharpsburg on Sept. 17, 1862, but he was present at 1st Fredericksburg on Dec. 13, 1862 (where Moses died) and 2nd Fredericksburg on May 4, 1862. At 2nd Winchester on June 14, 1863, George was present, but then he went to serve with General Ewell's Guard for 6 months. I assume that wherever General Ewell was, George was fighting. When he returned to his company, it wasn't for long. He was killed at Spottsylvania Court House on May 10, 1864. One of his pay receipt from May to August 1863 says he was paid $44.00 for his service, or $11.00/month.

William Cander Baskin

William Cander Baskin was also a 1st cousin once removed to Moses H. Baskin and a 1st cousin to George P.K. Baskin. William C. Baskin's father was George Pringle Baskin, whose father was William Cander Baskin, brother of John Alexander Baskin.
William C., or W. C., Baskin (he is referred to both ways in the service records) served throughout the war as well. He enlisted at Columbus, MS on Nov. 14, 1861 at the age of 22. He began as a private in Company A, 4th Battalion, Mississippi Cavalry. He brought with him his own horse and tack valued at $255 total when he enlisted. Company A, 4th Battalion Mississippi Cavalry subsequently became Company C, 8th (Wade's) Confederate Cavalry after the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862 under Major General W. T. Martin. W.C. Baskin rose from private to Captain at some point and was then recommended by Gen. Martin for promotion to 2nd Lieutenant in December 1862. He was then assigned to duty as Ordnance Officer of Martin's Brigade in November 1863. His service record contains many requisitions for not only ordnance, but horses and feed for the horses. He was relieved of his service as Ordnance Officer in July 1864. I'm not sure if he was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant as it seems there was no vacancy for him to be promoted, and records for the surrender show him as both Captain and 2nd Lieutenant Jr. in Martin's Escort. Regardless, he appears on the list of those surrendered and paroled at Columbus, MS on May 19, 1865, more than a month after Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House and Lincoln's assassination.

J.A. Baskin

I cannot be certain that this soldier is who I think he is, but here is his story anyway. I believe, based on location and census records, that J.A. Baskin is John Alexander Baskin, Jr. - brother of Moses H. and William Orren Baskin. There are, however, several other Baskins with the same initials, so this could be one of them. I was unable to find a pension record which may have solved this mystery, and I will keep looking. Regardless, he is likely related to us somehow!
J.A. Baskin enlisted in Company B, 27th Louisiana Infantry as a Corporal at New Orleans on March 25, 1862. I assume he entered at a higher rank either because he was older (he was about 39), had previous war experience, or brought with him supplies, money and/or men; but I don't know for sure. He was promoted from 2nd Corporal to 5th Sergeant to fill a vacancy on Sept. 8, 1862. He next appears on a Roll of Prisoners of War paroled at Vicksburg on July 4, 1863. At that time, his rank was 2nd Lieutenant Jr. It appears that wither the siege of Vicksburg was enough war for J.A. Baskin, or he took the document he signed upon his parole very seriously, because we have no further record of him during the war.

G.R. Baskin
This is another possibly incorrect assumption on my part. I suspect that this man is George Reid Baskin, brother to John A., Jr. and Moses H., again based on census records and the fact that he and J.A. Baskin served in the same company. I could be wrong.
According to G.R. Baskin's service record, he enlisted as a private in Company B, 27th Louisiana Infantry on March 25, 1862 at New Orleans - same as J.A. He, too, was at the siege of Vicksburg and was paroled on July 4, 1863. His parole document was witnessed by "J.A. Baskin Jr. (or Lt.?)", which also leads me to believe the two were related and, indeed, are who I think they are. As with J.A., the war service record for G.R. ends here.

Moses H., John Alexander, Jr., and George Reid Baskin were all younger brothers to William Orren Baskin, as were Thomas Stuart and Adolphus McDuffie. These younger brothers, where they had children, had children too young to serve in the Civil War. William Orren, however, had a couple of sons who came of age during the war and subsequently joined the fight. Here are their stories:

J.J. Baskin

J.J., or John J., Baskin was born in 1843 in Alabama, but his family lived in Louisiana by 1860 and he with them. Be that as it may, he enlisted as a private in Company B, 36th Alabama Infantry, C.S.A. His service record is sparse. He appears on a receipt roll for "commutation of rations" and was paid on Dec. 24, 1862. He also appears on a receipt roll for clothing, issued on April 14, 1864. He next appears on a Roll of Prisoners of War at Meridian, MS on May 12, 1865 - the end of the war. That's all that his service record reveals.
His pension application is more informative. One Oct. 9, 1913 in Knox County, TX, John J. Baskin filed Form A - For Use of Soldiers Who Are In Indigent Circumstances. This form, which he completed himself, says that he does not make more than $300/year and his property exclusive of his home does not value more than $1000. He says he is 71 years old, born in Greene County, AL, and has lived in Texas for 30 years. He enlisted March 1862 and was discharged in the spring of 1865, serving the entire time in Company B, 36th Alabama Infantry. Witnesses who attest to his identity and service under oath are his brother, G.B. Baskin, and a G.O. Baskin, but that wasn't enough. They needed an affidavit from someone who served with him, and that's where this next comes from. Mr. M.C. Hutton says, in fact, that they served together until about 3 months before the end of the war when, during fighting in Tennessee, J.J. was wounded by a minnie-ball in the top of the head as he stood beside his friend. J.J. Baskin was sent to the hospital and Mr. Hutton does not remember if he was able to return to service before the war ended.
I can't tell if all of this got J.J. the financial help he needed, but included in the file is an Application for Mortuary Warrant. It seems old J.J. died on Sept. 14, 1933 in his home of heart disease, and his son, W.B. Baskin, applied for help with the funeral expenses.

G.B. Baskin

G.B., or George Baxter, Baskin will get a bigger biography later as he is my Great great grandfather, some of William Orren Baskin. His service record is very short as he only served one year - the last one. Why? I can't imagine, but he served under his 2nd cousin, W.C. Baskin. G.B. was 4th Corporal in Martin's Escort, C.S.A. from 1864-1865. His service record only tells us that he was surrendered and paroled at Citronelle, AL in May 1865.
His Soldier's Application for Confederate Pension is slightly more informative. It is dated 21 November 1925, and at that time he said he was 79 years old and in poor health. He said he served in an escort Company under Capt. W.C. Baskin in the Cavalry. His brother, J.J. Baskin, signed an affidavit confirming his service and identity, as did a lady living in California then, a Mary J. Mecklin. The War Department, however, could not find record of G.B.'s service (I suspect because they were looking at the 3rd Alabama Cavalry rather than the 8th!). His pension application was approved anyway.

Of course, these are just some of the Baskin soldiers on both sides of the Civil War. It seems that most of our close relatives were Confederates, which is understandable when you consider that most of them were also slave owners. The story that isn't told here is that of the women and children and old folks left at home. Remember, they were Southerners and the war was fought in and around their homes. In this way, they were as much a part of the war as the enlisted men were. Then there are the men who chose not to enlist. Why didn't they choose to fight? I wish we had some diaries or letters to give us at least some hints at what all went on during this tumultuous time in our nation's history!