Civil War Veterans Buried In Washington State - William Baskett

6^th PROVISIONAL REGIMENT ENROLLED MISSOURI VOLUNTEER MILITIA (UNION)
Organized: 4/1 - 4/15/63
Mustered In: 4/10 - 10/31/63
Discharged: 8/25 - 10/31/64

REGIMENTAL HISTORY:
 

*NOTE: During the American Civil War there two 6^th Missouri (Union) militia units. One, the 6^th Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia was created on 9/5/62. It was mustered 6/16/63 and discharged 7/15/63. The other, the 6th Provisional Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia was between 4/1/63 and 10/31/63. It was ordered into service between 4/10/63 and 10/31/63. It was discharged between 8/25/63 and 10/31/64.
 

It is difficult to say in which 6^th he may have served. However, although the 6^th Provisional was recruited from the state "at large," individual companies were raised in specific counties. William served in Company "K. "Because Co. "K" of the 6^th Provisional Militia was formed by men from Texas County - where the Baskets resided during the ACW - it is this 6th that is being adopted herein. Unfortunately there is no definitive "history” designating the regiment's assignments and duties.

REGIMENTAL LOSSES: 
Information Not Available

SOLDIER:
Residence:  Carroll Texas Co., MO   Age: ca. 43 yrs.
Enlisted/Enrolled: Inf. Not Avail.   Rank: Pvt.
Mustered In: Inf. Not Avail.
Mustered Out: Inf. Not Avail. 
Discharged: Inf. Not Avail.
Highest Rank: Pvt.
Rank At Discharge:  Pvt.

PERSONAL/FAMILY HISTORY:
 

William Charles Baskett was born in the state of Tennessee during the year 1820. No birth month or date has been found.
 

Parents of William were (William T Baskett (b. 1790 SC died before 1850 MO) and Mary Howard (b. 1785 b. GA). The Basketts were a farming family.
 

Brothers and sisters are unk.
 

In (1/25/1826 VA) William married. His bride was Mary P. Turpin (b. 2/21/20 Independence Co., Arkansas). Mary died 315/1896 Duwamish River King Co. WA.
 

William and Mary would produce eight children. The Baskett children (name spellings and birthdates subject to error) were: Julia Ellen (b. 1842 MO) John J. (b. 10/12/1843 MO), Preston (b. 7/30/45 MO), Charles Monroe * (b. 3/27/47 MO), William Charles Jr. (b. 12/49 MO), Ozella (b. 1850 MO) Henry E. (b. 2/16/53 MO) and Monterville (b. 5/13/63 MO). As noted, it appears all the Baskett children were birthed in Shannon Co., Missouri.
 

The U.S. Census for 1850 tallied the Basketts in District 53 Shannon Co., MO. A decade later, in 1860, they were still in Missouri but then farming in or near the community Carroll located in Texas County. They would remain at this latter location for at least twenty and more likely thirty plus years, until moved to Washington State. More on this later. 
 

In April, 1861 civil war erupted in the U.S. Missouri a free/slave border state experienced internal strife even before formal war was declared in the south. This chaos saw unofficial "militia" units spring up on both sides of the secession issue. Some were little more than armed mobs. Others were fairly organized and became units in both the Union and Confederate armies.
 

It was noted earlier that William and Mary remained in Missouri for decades, but by 6/28/92 they were residing in Washington State. What had drawn them to the Pacific Northwest and when they had arrived in the Puget Sound region is not known.
 

it was on 6/23/92  in Washington that William applied for a U.S. Government disability based on his days of Civil War soldiering. It appears the request was denied. This was likely because his period service had been solely under the auspices of the state of Missouri and not the Federal government. 
 

Mary died on 3/15/96 in the Duwamish River area of King Co., WA. Today this part of south Seattle. According to her death record she died of old age. Her final resting place is Seattle GAR Cemetery, Seattle, King Co., WA.
 

With Mary gone William did not live long. He died in Seattle King Co., WA on 5/12/96 at the age of 76 years. He was buried in the "new" Grand Army Of The Republic (G.A.R.) Cemetery located near the north end of Seattle's Capitol Hill.
 

As a final note, William may not have qualified to receive a U.S. Government disability pension, but he did qualify for a military headstone to be placed on his grave site. Interestingly, the stone does not indicate his unit of service. Instead, it reads only U.S. SOLDIER. As of this writing, no other military headstone in Washington State has been found with this simple inscription.

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* NOTE: Charles served with his father in Company "K" of the 6^th Missouri (Provisional Militia) Infantry. Based on available documentation, it appears that when the militia regiment was disbanded, he joined the 6^th Missouri Infantry and served with that organization until the War's end. He survived the conflict and, in later years, moved to the Pacific Northwest. He died on 9/11/23 in Spokane, Washington and was/is buried in that city's Greenwood Cemetery.

Buried at Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery Seattle

Denise Ottoson
Seattle , WA