Notes |
- Joseph settled in Moscow, Maine.
From Vassalboro, Maine, Joseph Bassett moved to China, Maine, and from
there, shortly after his marriage to Pheobe Weeks, they moved to Moscow,
Maine, where they lived on a farm overlooking Bingham Village, on the east
shore of the Kennebec River. After his death the children, except for the baby
Joseph whom his mother took to the Baker farm, were left on the Bassett farm,
their mother and Mr. Baker going there every so often to tell them what to do.
The older children refused to take orders from the stepfather, and on 8 Jul
1823, Charles Baker of Moscow, Maine was appointed their guardian, the two
oldest children then being minors over 14, while the rest were minors under 14
according to Moscow town records.
In Oct 1821, as a substitute for the former Minute Men, and before
there was a regular standing army, all men able to serve if needed for defense
against an invasion of the U.S. went to some selected place each autumn after
harvest for one or two weeks military training. It was called "going to
muster". Returning from such a muster with several other men, Joseph Bassett,
a captain in his organization, was drowned in fording the Kennebec, which had
risen after a heavy rain, forcing the horses to swim. He was riding a 4 year
old colt, which became frightened and tried to go back. When forced into deep
water it reared and went over on its back, the captain's feet being caught in
the stirrups so that he went under the colt. Both drowned before the
other riders could rescue him. He is buried in the Bingham, Maine Cemetery.
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