Author: James Edward Mitchell
William Baskin, (Jr.) Publick’ Service claim SC.398; also, Captain for a company raised (1776) for Upper Ninety Six Regt., South Carolina (SC) backcountry militia commanded by BrigGen’l. Andrew Williamson (1730-1786), Col. Andrew Pickens and LieutCol. Robert Anderson / 8 - 11 Feb 1779 battles of Carr’s Fort, Cherokee Ford at the mouth of Van(n)s Creek near present day Ruckersville, Elbert Co., Georgia (GA) and battle of Kettle Creek on 14 Feb 1779 west of Washington, Wilkes Co., GA.
SAR Patriot # P-110364
A crossing of paths: On 3 Nov 2007, I was first introduced to a tribute honoring Revolutionary War Captain William Baskin, Jr. At a planned gathering of my allied descendants for a 5th GGF i.e., SAR Patriot #: P-163339 the Samuel Elbert Chapter, GA State Society, Sons of the American Revolution met to host a grave marking program and ceremony at the Van(n) s Creek Baptist Church Cemetery. The burial site was located at Ruckersville, Elbert Co., GA. Our GA Society, Samuel Elbert Chapter, SAR host drove several kin folks and myself a mile east upon Ruckersville Rd., to GA Hwy-239 to the entrance of Richard B. Russell State Park and headquarters. After a brief ride south to the tip of the park peninsula, where the boat-launch ramp, swimming area and parking were located; there a 7 ft. tall, granite marker was found inscribed, Battle of Cherokee Ford, 11 Feb. 1779. In Honor of the Brave Militiamen under Robert Anderson, including Captains William Baskin, Jr., *James Little, John Miller, Joseph Pickens, and Lieut. Thomas Shanklin, who fought a superior Tory led force commanded by Col. Boyd at the mouth of Van(n)s Creek and the Savannah River. This encounter weakened Col. James Boyd’s Tories 3 days prior to the battle of Kettle Creek. The rest of this narrative connects William Baskin’s birth, family, marriage and Revolutionary military service with our crossing paths! See: Before They Were Heroes at King’s Mountain by Randell Jones, Copyright 2011, Daniel Boone Footsteps publ., Winston-Salem, North Carolina (NC) -Kettle Creek, pgs 229-232 for Col. Samuel Elbert’s (2nd) GA Bttn.
William Baskin, son of William and Mary Stuart Baskin, was born (b.) 14 Feb 1737; sources, family Bible in possession of Sara Emma Cox, 210 S. Northside St., Tuskegee, Alabama (AL) and, Alabama, Surname Files Expanded, 1702-1981;
Department of Archives and History; Montgomery, AL; Box or Film Number: M840712. His father by the same name, was a farmer who came from Ireland to Pennsylvania and, later the Province of Virginia (VA) Augusta County (Co.) formed 1738 from Orange Co., where he lived approximately during 1740 and where he married Mary Stuart. In 1767 the family, and a son, William, Jr., age 30 removed to Abbeville, South Carolina (SC) established about 1764 as a trading town with convenient, coastal Atlantic navigation up the Savannah River. Our subject’s siblings included brothers, John, James, Andrew, Charles Baskin, sister, Margaret Patterson, and 3 others.
On 12 Jan 1769, William (Jr.) married (m.) Ann Reid, age 21 at Abbeville Co., SC; sources, Ibid. Box or Film Number: M840712 and, South Carolina Compiled Marriage Index, 1641-1965 <Ancestry.com>. Known children born to this union were James Hall Baskin b. 1788-1822, m. Margaret Hartgrove “Peggy” Thompson on 23 Dec 1813 in SC, see: Find A Grave Memorial # 87385016; Thomas Stuart Baskin b. 6 Feb 1782; William Cander Baskin b. 24 May 1778; Anne Harkness, b. 4 Apr 1774; Rosannah Harkness, b. 17 Mar 1776, Abbeville Co., SC and Elizabeth Baskin b. 19 Nov 1772; source, DAR Ancestor Search, William Baskin, Ancestor #: A007181.
Co-incidentally, the above research was partly substantiated with latent, additional kin with the discovery of a 1750 administrator’s bond or estate account record at Court in Augusta Co., VA for Robert Baskin(s); source, Virginia Wills and Administrations 1632-1800: An Index, compiled by Clayton Torrence, publ., Baltimore by Genealogical Publ., Co., Inc., 1965, reprinted 1990, pg 24.
An online search was conducted for Capt. William Baskin, Ninety-Six District Regt., SC. From 1775 to 1783, he served first under LieutCol. Robert Anderson, then Col. Andrew Pickens and BrigGen’l. Andrew Williamson; 1778 in Upper Ninety-Six Dist., Regt. Taken Prisoner (POW) at battle of Carr’s Fort and Cherokee Ford between, 8 – 11 Feb 1779, released from the prison ship Torbay /exchanged 17 May 1781, and he served under Col. John Thomas, Jr. (1st) Spartan Regt., and Col. Benj. Roebuck (Roebuck’s Bttn., of Spartan Regt.). Additionally, recorded alphabetically, upon the same page, above, was found William’s brother, Lieut. James Baskin, Ninety-Six District Regt., SC, who in 1776 served under Capt. William Baskin during Cherokee Expedition; wounded at Cherokeetown on 26 June 1776; James Baskin mustered again at the Ninety-Six District Regt., between 1780- 1783…; sources, Alabama, Surname Files, above, and https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/patriot_military_sc_captains.htm
An additional online search, found recorded: Southern Campaigns American Revolution Pension Statements & Rosters: South Carolina audited Publick’ Accounts relating to receipts for rations and provisions provided by William Baskin Capt., and loss of his “White Grey Horse” appraised at 50 Pounds Currency by Capt. *Moses Liddle & Lieut. Benj. Lawrence -sworn on 1 Jul 1783: see, https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/patriot_military_sc_captains.htm
At age 67, William Baskin’s death was recorded on 9 Apr 1804 at Lowndesville, Abbeville Co., SC, however, his family burial ground has been lost. His daughter-in-law, Margaret Hartgrove “Peggy” Thompson (1792-1876) who m. William Baskin’s son, James Hall Baskin was buried and grave marked with an upright obelisk near allied Baskin family at Providence Presbyterian Church est. 1841 and cemetery at Lowndesville, Abbeville Co., at Lat.: 34.209999 and Longitude: -82.649398