Bassett Family Association Database

William Bassett, Sr.[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11]

Male 1755 - 1840  (84 years)


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  • Name William Bassett 
    Suffix Sr. 
    Born 18 Apr 1755  Limpsfield, Surrey, England Find all individuals with events at this location  [12, 13
    Christened 18 May 1755  Limpsfield, Surrey, England Find all individuals with events at this location  [14
    Gender Male 
    AFN Q5L6-HC 
    _UID C0ED2BD8C6BDC542B5470C2BEFB41D03306D 
    Died 6 Feb 1840  Cross Plains, Ripley, Indiana, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  [15
    Buried Family farm, Brown Twp,Cross Plains, Ripley, Indiana, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Notes 
    • SOURCES:
      Researchers: Ancestry.com files:
      1. Clarence A Dowers, Jr. Genealogy Pages

      BIRTH:
      1. LDS IGI: Christening: William BASET; 18 MAY 1755, Limpsfield, Surrey, England
      Batch No.: Dates: Source Call No.: Type: Printout Call No.: Type: P006921 1539 - 1812 0097139 Film 6906026 Film .
      2. BIRTH: 1829 Family bible held by 3rd Great-Grandson Ronald Bassett "William Bassett was born the 22 day of April 1755", and ARW pension statement made by Wm Bassett.

      CHRISTENING:
      1. Source Information: LDS Ancestry File, Batch No.: Dates: Source Call No.: Type: Printout Call No.: Type: MG P006921 Film 6906026 Film IMG P0069211539 - 1812 0097139 Film NONE IMG Sheet: 00. Other AFN:J090-CC

      MARRIAGE: 1829 Family bible held by Ronald Bassett: "William Bassett and his wife Peggy Bassett was married november the 27th 1786, peggy died Sep the 26 1844"

      DEATH:
      WILL: Sources: Bassett Family of Ripley & Versailley County, by Ralph Marshall
      WILL OF WILLIAM BASSETT SR.
      I, William Bassett, Sr. of Brown Township in the County of Ripley and State of Indiana do make and publish this my last Will and Testament thereby revoking and making void all former Wills by me at any time heretofore made. I direct that my body be decently interred and that my funeral be conducted in a manner corresponding with my estate and situation in life and as to such Wordly Estate as it has pleased God to entrust me with I dispose of the same in the following manner to wit: I direct first that all my just debts and funeral expenses paid as soon after my death as possible out of the first money that shall come to the hands of my Executors from any portion of my Estate Real or personal. I also direct that a fair valuation be made by three judicious neighbors of all my said estate including my house and furniture and after being signed with their names that a copy of the same be given by them to each of my Executors. I also direct that the whole of my household furniture shall be and remain the absolute property of my beloved wife is she shall be living at the time of my death but if she shall not survive me then that the same shall be equally divided amongst my children share and share alike and to be apportioned by three impartial neighbors mutually chosen by said heirs for that purpose. I also direct that my flock of sheep and cow and mare and colt and one note of hand on Robert Clark for one hundred dollars with ten per centum interest which shall be and remain the absolute porperty of my beloved wife and at mine and her death the above named propertyand money if any shall be equally divided amongst my beloved children share and share alike. I also will and bequeath to each of my children one dollar in cash out of my Estate and I hereby make and order my esteemed friends Thomas Bassett and William Bassett, Jr. Executors ofthis my last will and testament. In witness whereof I William Bassett Senior, the Testator have hereunto set my hand and seal this fourth day of October in the year of Our Lord One thousand Eight Hudnred and thrity eight. William Bassett (his mark) Signed sealed published and declared by the above named William Bassett, Sen. as his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who have here unto subscribed our names as witnesses thereto in the presence of the said Testator and in ther presence of each other Oct. 4th 1838 . G.W. Hunter, Harvey Lathrop

      BURIAL:
      1. Revolutionary War Soldiers, Ripley County, Indiana
      William Bassett was born in 1754. He died 6 Feb 1840. He is buried on a farm in Brown Township. He was married in 1780 [1786] to Margaret. Source Page 53, Roster of Soldiers and Patriots of the American Revolution Buried in Indiana, 1938. http://jerry.vigo.lib.in.us/revoluti/ripley.htm
      2. The Bassett grave site is located on the former Linkmeyer/Hunger farm west of Cross Plains, Brown Twp, Ripley Co., Indiana. Ronald L. "Smokey" Bassett visited the site twice in the 1980's and it was well kept with little weather damage to the headstones.
      Grave stones;
      - BASSETT, In Memory of William Bassett, d. 6 Feb 1840, 85 yrs.
      Revolution Historical Society marker placed at grave on 15 Jul 1936.
      - In Memory of Peggy, Concort of William Bassett, who d. 26 Sep 1844 at 76 yrs.
      - (No name given) d/o Wm. B., buried there in 1845.
      3. Located on the old Shields farm now know as the Linkmeyer farm http://places.ancestry.com/>
      Clayton/ Craigmile/ Lockridge/ Hallgarth Tree <http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/384969/family?fpid=-2081288963>Owner: jimhall124
      4. Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots <http://www.ancestry.com>
      William Bassett, Cemetery: Schuerman farm, Location: Cross Plains, Ripley CO IN 74
      Reference: Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots, Vol.1, p. Serial: ; Volume: 1-4.
      Source Information: Hatcher, Patricia Law. Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 1999. Original data: Hatcher, Patricia Law. Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots. Vol. 1-4. Dallas, TX, USA: Pioneer Heritage Press, 1987.
      5. William Bassett, a soldier in the Revolutionary War, is buried in [Brown Twp] Ripley County, Indiana. This information was obtained from "Roster of Soldiers and Patriots of the American Revolution Buried in Indiana, Volume II" published by the Indiana Daughters of the American Revolution in 1966.

      BIOGRAPHY:
      1. Limpsfield, Surrey, England: Limpsfield, on the Surrey/Kent border is one of England's most attractive historic villages with records back to the Domesday Book. Even today it has a church and houses which date from the 12th Century and many more from the 13th through to the 16th Centuries. It is set in beautiful countryside at the foot of the North Downs and only some 21 miles due south of London on the Greenwich Meridian.
      The 12th Century Parish Church of St. Peter at the foot of Limpsfield High Street is the burial place of several famous musicians including Frederick Delius, Sir Thomas Beecham and Eileen Joyce.
      Limpsfield History.
      This brief coverage of the history of Limpsfield Parish is totally insufficient to cover the interests of all those who may read this. For those who wish to delve deeper please check out the references at the end of this page.
      Limpsfield lies just to the south of a range of chalk hills now known as the North Downs, some 21 miles south of central London. The Parish is approximately six miles long, from the top of Titsey Hill in the north to Staffhurst Wood in the south, by two and a half miles wide from Moorhouse in the east to the Oxted boundary in the west at its widest point.
      The local geology comprises greensand and clays lying at the foot of chalk hills (The North Downs) which lends itself both to agricultural land and to extraction of specialist sands, clays, chalk and fullers earth and there is evidence of settlements back to the stone and bronze ages with a number of flint and bronze artefacts discovered in the area, as well as evidence of old clay workings, ironstone workings and sand pits. However much of the earlier history has to be derived from archaeological investigations with the first written records coming from the Domesday Book in 1086.
      Prior to William 1st's victory over King Harold in 1066, Limpsfield was probably part of a private estate thought to have been owned by King Harold. This presumably followed on from Roman involvement in the area - remains of a Roman villa have been found at Titsey (the location of the Lords of the Manor of Limpsfield, although strictly outside the Parish boundary) and a minor Roman road (from London to Lewes) crosses the Parish. However, after William's victory over Harold, and the latter's death, the lands were ceded to the Abbot of Battle. At the time of the Domesday Book entry the population was around 200, and there was a mill, a fishery, the church, 2 stone quarries, '150 pigs from pasturage' and 'three hawks nests in the woodland', possibly suggesting the breeding of hawks for hunting.
      The current parish church of St. Peter was constructed in the late 12th Century and is presumed to have replaced an even earlier Saxon church mentioned in the Domesday Book. Old Court Cottage in the village was built as the Abbot of Battle's courthouse between 1190 and 1200. Thought to have been substantially altered around 1400 it still retains a number of extremely interesting internal features. There are also a number of other houses (nine) in the High Street which date back to mediaeval times (although several now have much more modern frontages) having been constructed initially in the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. One of these houses was a butcher's shop from the 15th century up until the early 1970s! There are also more than 20 other mediaeval houses within the parish.
      Churches:
      There are three Anglican churches in Limpsfield - the Parish church of St. Peter off Limpsfield High Street - St. Andrew on Limpsfield Chart and St. Silvan in Staffhurst Wood. There are Roman Catholic and United Reform churches in neighbouring Oxted.
      St. Peter, Limpsfield
      Built: 12th century - extended 19th century. Listed grade 1
      The Church is sited within a large graveyard on high ground adjacent to the North side of Limpsfield High Street. It comprises a Nave, Chancel, Chapel, North and South Aisles, a Tower sited adjacent to the Chancel, and a South Porch. There is a mezzanine level within the Tower base which functions as a Choir Vestry and Store. The principal approach is by a broad footpath leading up from the public highway which is paved with ironstone laid on edge.
      The building is dominated by the Tower c.1180 which is massive and sited, unusually, adjacent to the South side of the Chancel. Fragments of the twelfth century Nave remain but these are substantially buried and pierced by later work. The Chancel and Chapel ("the Gresham Chapel") and South Aisle were built during the 13th century. The South Porch was added during the 16th century.
      Old Court Cottage
      The Hamlets
      While Limpsfield village was the principal settlement in the Parish, there were also a number of hamlets falling within it - and these mostly retain their separate identities today.
      Moorhouse on the Kent border ('moor' thought to have come from the Old English 'meer' meaning border or boundary), centred round a mediaeval hall house and a small area of enclosed common land.
      The Chart - now relatively densely populated - but which had only consisted of around ten cottages up until the start of the 20th Century is centred on Limpsfield Common.
      **Pains Hill is situated on an ancient trackway dating from the iron age, with three mediaeval hall houses as well as some other very old dwellings.
      Langhurst is a farming area with more scattered dwellings, but virtually all the farms in the area today retain extensive remains of early houses - several of which are substantial mediaeval dwellings.
      These hamlets are all on the extensive areas of common land in the area, and the fact that the Lords of the Manor would not contemplate the enclosing of this common land when they were under pressure to do so back in the 19th Century is the principal reason why this area remains comparatively undeveloped in relation to some of the surrounding Parishes. This in turn accounts for the Parish's continuing rural character despite the area's proximity to central London and to the railway line through neighbouring Oxted.
      Much of this summary of the history of Limpsfield comes from two sources - Limpsfield Ancient & Modern, edited by Peter Gray and published by the Limpsfield History Group, and from a report prepared on the 25th Anniversary of the National Trust taking control of Limpsfield Common by Shirley Corke. Both these publications are out of print, but a few copies may still be available. Anyone interested in these or other publications on the area are advised to contact The Limpsfield Bookshop, High Street, Limpsfield, Surrey. Phone/Fax +44 (0)1883 714034.

      IMMIGRATION:
      Possible records of William's entry into the colonies:
      Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s, Ancestry.com:
      1. William Basset; Year: 1767 Place: America Source Publication Code: 1257.40 Primary Immigrant: Basset, William. Annotation: Date and port of arrival, or date of sentencing or reprieve for transport and port of arrival. Name of ship, crime convicted of, and other information may also be provided. The Complete Books of Emigrants in Bondage, 1614-1775 was indexed as source number Source Bibliography: COLDHAM, PETER WILSON. Supplement to the Complete Book of Emigrants in Bondage, 1614-1775. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1992. 86p. Page: 12
      2. William Basset; Year: 1767 Place: America Source Publication Code: 8543 Primary Immigrant: Basset, William Source Bibliography: SMITH, CLIFFORD NEAL. British Deportees to America, Part 3: 1766-1767. (British-American Genealogical Research Monograph, 3.) McNeal, Ariz.: Westland Publications, 1981. 73p. Page: 6.
      3. New York Genealogical Records, 1675-1920
      Michel Basset; Event: Lived Year: 1776 County: Albany Province: New York Comments: (Land Bounty Rights)12th Reg't Source: New York in the Revolution as Colony and State, Vol. I - Extracts Publisher: J. B. Lyon Co. Publication info: Albany, NY, 1904 Page: 234
      4. A Summary of the Records of Maidstone Gaol
      LDS Film #1656725 Item 2; Md/JQg/4 Committal Orders: 9 Oct 1771 - William Bassett of Maidstone, labourer for bastardy on examination of Jane Beauman of Maidstone.
      5. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s: William Bassett, Year:1758, Place:Maryland
      Source Publication Code: 1243 Primary Immigrant:Bassett, William
      Annotation: Date and place of mention in land survey. County and name of land purchased are provided. Original records are contained in Land Office Registers, indexed starting on page vii of the introduction.
      Source Bibliography:COLDHAM, PETER WILSON. Settlers Of Maryland 1679 - 1783. Consolidated Edition. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2002. Page: 31
      Source Citation: Place: Maryland; Year: 1758; Page Number: 31.
      Source Information: Gale Research. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2009. Original data: Filby, P. William, ed.. 6. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s. Farmington Hills, MI, USA: Gale Research, 2009.
      - Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s: William Basset, Year: 1767, Place: America
      Source Publication Code: 1257.40
      Primary Immigrant: Basset, William
      Annotation: Date and port of arrival, or date of sentencing or reprieve for transport and port of arrival. Name of ship, crime convicted of, and other information may also be provided. The Complete Books of Emigrants in Bondage, 1614-1775 was indexed as source number
      Source Bibliography: COLDHAM, PETER WILSON. Supplement to the Complete Book of Emigrants in Bondage, 1614-1775. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1992. 86p.
      Page: 12 [http://www.genealogical.com]

      7. More Emigrants in Bondage, 1614-1775 [NO Wm Bassett listed]
      About this book Source: Original data: Coldham, Peter Wilson. More Emigrants in Bondage, 1614-1775. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2002. Description:
      Between 1614 and 1775 more than 50,000 English men, women, and children were sentenced to be deported to the American colonies for crimes ranging from the theft of a handkerchief to bigamy or highway robbery. After years of painstaking research, the names of nearly all those transported were extracted from official court records by Peter Coldham and published in the landmark work The Complete Book of Emigrants in Bondage in 1988 and its Supplement in 1992, forming the largest and most complete passenger list of its kind ever published. From this unexpected source the researcher at last had the means of learning the names of the persons transported to the colonies, the charges against them, the dates and places of sentencing, the ship names, and the places of arrival in the colonies.
      The original volume of Emigrants in Bondage published in 1988 acknowledged that there were some notable omissions from the list of transported felons then printed, which remained to be researched and remedied. The Supplement of 1992 began to supply the omissions, but now with the publication of More Emigrants in Bondage, Mr. Coldham has closed the remaining gaps. Altogether there are some 9,000 new and amended records in this important new work, which is arranged and annotated in the same way as the parent volume. To the original list of 50,000 records, these additions come as a windfall, arising from the availability of previously closed archival resources and the re-examination of conventional transportation records such as Assize Court records, Circuit Court records, and the quaintly-named Sheriffs' Cravings, to which can be added newspapers and printed memoirs.
      The addition of 9,000 records to the canon makes this the most important list of ships' passengers to be published in years. Whether as a list of additions or corrections, this new work is an indispensable tool in the researcher's arsenal, and anyone using the parent volume and supplement cannot possibly ignore this volume. Questions about the peopling of colonial America come readily to mind when looking at a book like this--questions about ancestors, too--and the answers found here are both challenging and surprising.

      BIOGRAPHY:
      1. American Rev. War History:
      I. http://sarahsgenealogy.lunarpages.com/dragoons.html
      3rd CONTINENTAL LIGHT DRAGOON REGIMENT (Baylor's Horse, or Lady Washington's Horse)
      LINEAGE [Wright, Continental Army, p. 346] Authorized 1 January 1777 in the Continental Army as the 3d Continental Light Dragoon Regiment and assigned to the Main Army.
      Organized in spring 1777 at Morristown, New Jersey, to consist of three troops from Virginia, two troops from Maryland, and one troop recruited at large.
      Relieved 5 November 1778 from the Main Army and assigned to the Middle Department
      Relieved 7 May 1779 from the Middle Department and assigned to the Southern Department.
      II.< http://www.royalprovincial.com/military/rhist/njv/4njvhist.htm>
      The history of the British 4th Battalion, New Jersey Volunteers.
      The year 1778 progressed rather uneventfully for the 4th battalion. They chiefly garrisoned Staten Island along with the 1st and 3rd battalions and made a few raids into New Jersey. At the end of September, they were a part of the army under Lord CORNWALLIS that foraged in Bergen County and led to the destruction of the 3rd Continental Light Dragoons near Old Tappan.
      While the battalion did not take part in that action, they did take a few prisoners at this time and took the opportunity to recruit some men and bring many of their families within the British Lines. It was one of the tragedies of the war that families of the combatants of both sides were often left to tend the farms in a hostile countryside.

      2. American Rev. War Pension Request: W-9739, for Bassett, William, VA, Service: Cont. Sieries M805, Roll: 60, Image: 385, File: W9739. Continental (Va.), wife: Peggy.
      3. LDS IGI record shows William BASET, father: Michel BASET
      4. FamilySearch™ Pedigree Resource File: Compact Disc #128 Pin #3374850
      Submitter: Eugene James WEATHERBY, 23 SE 9th St. Madras, OR 97741
      5. Dragoon Diary - Page 510,by C. F. William Maurer - Biography & Autobiography - 2005 - 572 pages “History and Genealogy of William Bassett and Margaret McQuiddy and their Descendants.” Privately published in 1989. Baylor, George. [With research notes about Wm Bassett provided by his 3rd great grandson - Ronald L. "Smokey" Bassett]
      6. Franklin County, KYGenWeb Revolutionary War Soldiers:
      WILLIAM BASSETT, SR., Private, b. 1755 England, Continential Light Dragoons, New Jersey
      http://www.rootsweb.com/~kyfrankl/revwar.htm
      7. William was recruited by [Col. George Baylor?] to serve as a Revolutionary War soldier from 1776-1779, as a trooper in Colonel George Baylor's 3rd Regiment of Continental Light Dragoons, Captain Stith's Company. He was wounded at Old Tappen, New Jersey, during the nighttime British attack known as "Baylor's Massacre". He was wounded by a bayonet stab in the back. He was placed on the pension roll in 1834 as a "Private of Cav." at $100 annual allocation. He was one of three troopers who were memorialized during ceremonies held in Sept 2003 at Old Tappen, NJ, recognizing the 225th anniversary of the massacre.
      RE: Craig's Station in Mercer County, Illinois You may be talking about Craig's Station in Woodford County, KY, Located on Clear Creek . founded by the Toliver Craig branch of the Craig's. This is one of several Craig's Stations in the area. Check the Woodford County, Illinois "Woodford County Genweb site.
      8. Title: Roster of Soldiers and Patriots of the American Revolution Buried in Indiana Chapter: Records of Revolutionary Soldiers Surnames, A-B Page:
      9. U.S. Pensioners, 1818-1872 <http://www.ancestry.com>
      Name: William Bassett, Widow's Name:Peggy Bassett
      Pension Office City/Town: Madison, Pension Office State: Indiana, Year range: 1835-1850.
      10. Soldiers of the Revolution Buried in Indiana:
      Bassett, William. Born 1754. Service: Entered service from Virginia in 1776 under Col. George Bailor. Served 2 years, 9 months. Proof: Pension claim W. 9739. Died: Feb. 6, 1840. Buried on farm in Brown Twp. government marker and name on bronze tablet in Versailles Court House. Married: 1780, Margaret. Many descendants still living in Ripley Co.
      11. DAR shows 11 applications for membership using William, including Blanche Battin. Her membership number was 212062.
      12. William Bassett was born in [1754]. He died 6 Feb 1840. He is buried on a farm in Brown Township. He was married in 1780 to Margaret. Source: Page 53, Roster of Soldiers and Patriots of the American Revolution. Buried in Indiana, 1938.

      1810 US Census
      Bassett, William.
      Franklin Co., KY, pg 113: White Males: 1(0-9) -0-2(16-25)-0-1(45+), White Females:3(0-9), 2(10-15),1(26-44)
      Franklin Co., KY, series M252, Roll 6, Page 122: also shows another Bassett, William,
      White males: 1 (0-9) 2 (10-15) 2 (16-25) 1 (26-44) 1 (45+), White Females: 3 (0-9) 2 (10-15) 1 (26-44)

      1812 - War of 1812
      William Bassett is believed to have been in same regiment as Israel Boone (son of Daniel Boone) killed at the Battle of Blue Licks, 19 August 1782, as was Capt. Hickman. {KY Soldier of the War of 1812, pg 32}

      1818. At Craig's Station KY. Bassett Sold 300+ acres in Franklin Co. in Nov 1818 for $1250
      NOTE: Franklin County was formed in 1795 from part of Woodford, Shelby, and Mercer Counties. In 1799 a portion of Franklin County was removed to form Gallatin County. Franklin County, located in the central Bluegrass region of Kentucky, was named in honor of Benjamin Franklin. The city of Frankfort, named for "Frank's Ford" was founded in 1786. It serves as county seat and the State Capital (US GenWeb)

      1820 US Census
      Basset, William 075 RIPL 010101-01201-0200 1 male 10-16 yrs,1m16-26,1m45+; 1 female 10-16 yrs,2f16-26,1f45+. Brown Twp, Ripley County, Indiana. [Note: Came to Indiana in about 1819]

      1840 US Census:
      WILLIAM BASSETT
      State: IN County: Ripley County Township: No Township Listed Year: 1840 Record Type: Federal Population Schedule Page: 084 Database: IN 1840 Federal Census Index (Ancestry.com)

      Census history: https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Indiana_Census
      1784--Clarksville, (on the north bank of the Ohio River, opposite Louisville Kentucky), became the first authorized American settlement in Indiana.
      1787--The United States government established the Northwest Territory to open the land to Revolutionary War veterans and other settlers.
      1800-1809--The Indiana Territory was established in 1800. Michigan Territory was detached in 1805, and the Illinois Territory was set off in 1809.
      1816--Indiana became a state.
      1820-1930--The Family History Library has microfilms of the U.S. federal censuses of Indiana.
      1800--The 1800 census for Indiana was lost.
      1810-- The 1810 census for Indiana were lost, except the 1810 Harrison County census.
      1820-- Davies County census was lost.
      1890-- Census schedules for all of Indiana were destroyed.

      BIOGRAPHY:
      1782: Danial Boone's account of the 19 August 1782 "Battle of Blue Licks" at which it is believed Wm Bassett may have been involved, and Boone's son, Israel, was killed. However, no record of the Bassett's involvement have been found.
      "On the eighteenth day Col. Todd, Col. Trigg, Major Harland, and myself, speedily collected one hundred and seventy-six men, well armed, and pursued the savages. They had marched beyond the Blue Licks to a remarkable bend of the main fork of Licking River, about forty-three miles from Lexington, as it is particularly represented in the map, where we overtook them on the nineteenth day. The savages observing us, gave way; and we, being ignorant of their numbers, passed the river. When the enemy saw our proceedings, having greatly the advantage of us in situation, they formed the line of battle, represented in the map, from one bend of Licking to the other, about a mile from the Blue Licks. An exceeding fierce battle immediately began, for about fifteen minutes, when we, being over-powered by numbers, were obliged to retreat, with the loss of sixty-seven men; seven of whom were taken prisoners. The brave and much lamented Colonels Todd and Trigg, Major Harland and my second son, were among the dead. We were informed that the Indians, numbering their dead, found they had four killed more than we; and therefore, four of the prisoners they had taken, were, by general consent, ordered to be killed, in a most barbarous manner, by the young warriors, in order to train them up to cruelty; and then they proceeded to their towns.
      On our retreat we were met by Col. Logan, hastening to join us, with a number of well armed men: This powerful assistance we unfortunately wanted in the battle; for, notwithstanding the enemy's superiority of numbers, they acknowledged that, if they had received one more fire from us, they should undoubtedly have given way. So valiantly did our small party fight, that, to the memory of those who unfortunately fell in the battle, enough of honour cannot be paid. Had Col. Logan and his party been with us, it is highly probable we should have given the savages a total defeat.
      I cannot reflect upon this dreadful scene, but sorrow fills my heart. A zeal for the defence of their country led these heroes to the scene of action, though with a few men to attack a powerful army of experienced warriors. When we gave way, they pursued us with the utmost eagerness, and in every quarter spread destruction. The river was difficult to cross, and many were killed in the flight, some just entering the river, some in the water, others after crossing in ascending the cliffs. Some escaped on horseback, a few on foot; and, being dispersed every where, in a few hours, brought the melancholy news of this unfortunate battle to Lexington. Many widows were now made. The reader may guess what sorrow filled the hearts of the inhabitants, exceeding any thing that I am able to describe. Being reinforced, we returned to bury the dead, and found their bodies strewed every where, cut and mangled in a dreadful manner. This mournful scene exhibited a horror almost unparalleled: Some torn and eaten by wild beasts; those in the river eaten by fishes; all in such a putrified condition, that no one could be distinguished from another.
      As soon as General Clark, then at the Falls of the Ohio, who was ever our ready friend, and merits the love and gratitude of all his country-men, understood the circumstances of this unfortunate action, he ordered an expedition, with all possible haste, to pursue the savages, which was so expeditiously effected, that we overtook them within two miles of their towns, and probably might have obtained a great victory, had not two of their number met us about two hundred poles before we come up. These returned quick as lightening to their camp with the alarming news of a mighty army in view. The savages fled in the utmost disorder, evacuated their towns, and reluctantly left their territory to our mercy. We immediately took possession of Old Chelicothe without opposition, being deserted by its inhabitants. We continued our pursuit through five towns on the Miami rivers, Old Chelicothe, Pecaway, New Chelicothe, Will's Towns, and Chelicothe, burnt them all to ashes, entirely destroyed their corn, and other fruits, and every where spread a scene of desolation in the country. In this expedition we took seven prisoners and five scalps, with the loss of only four men, two of whom were accidentally killed by our own army.
      This campaign in some measure damped the spirits of the Indians, and made them sensible of our superiority. Their connections were dissolved, their armies scattered, and a future invasion put entirely out of their power; yet they continued to practise mischief secretly upon the inhabitants, in the exposed parts of the country."

      1782: Served under George Rogers Clark Shawnee Expedition in Capt. James Ray's Company of Lincoln Militia.

      War of 1812, : William Bassett shown as Private, enlisted 15 Aug 1812 to 14 Oct 1812, Capt. William Kerley's Co., First Rifle Regiment, KY. Son James also served, with Daniel Boone's 2nd cousin, Issac Boone. http://www.rootsweb.com/~kyfrankl/r-raisin.htm

      BIOGRAPHY:
      CRAIG'S STATION (BURNT STATION)
      John Craig's Station, which housed Baptists seeking religious freedom, was established in 1779 along David's Fork, near present-day Winchester Road (U.S. 60), east of Lexington. Craig family members, including John, Joseph, Lewis, and Elijah, were associated with the Traveling Church , a Baptist sect that moved an entire congregation from Virginia to Kentucky. Several Traveling Church families settled at Craig's Station on Christmas Eve in 1779 and lived in crude log shelters during one of the most severe winters on record. Four cabins, possibly with an enclosing stockade, were built the next year. When a planned Indian attack was reported in March of 1781, the inhabitants fled to Daniel Boone's Station near what is now Athens, Kentucky. Within hours after they abandoned Craig's Station, an Indian raiding party burned the settlement, which led to its second name.
      Nancy O'Malley, Stockading Up, Archaeological Report 127, Department of Anthropology, University of Kentucky, 1987. http://www.kyenc.org/entry/c/CRAIG03.html

      BIOGRAPHY:
      William Bassett Life Time-Line
      - 22 April 1755: Born in Surrey England, Limpsfield, on the Surrey/Kent border
      - About 1770: It is unknown why or when William arrived in the colonies, but was residing in Bottetourt Co., VA, there when “enlisted in the service”.
      - Possible date source: William Basset; Year: 1767 Place: America, Source Publication Code: 8543
      Primary Immigrant: Basset, William; Source Bibliography: SMITH, CLIFFORD NEAL. British Deportees to America, Part 3: 1766-1767. (British-American Genealogical Research Monograph, 3.) McNeal, Ariz.: Westland Publications, 1981. 73p. Page: 6.
      - The following dates & places extracted from Private/Trooper Wm Bassett’s recorded Declaration of Service in the American Revolutionary War, given at Ripley County, Indiana, 29 December, 1833.
      August 1776: Enlisted. Resided in Bottetourt County, Virginia. [It is assumed that William enlisted into the Virginia Light Horse/Bland’s Regiment, under Col. Theodorick Bland. The unit was offered to Congress on Nov 1776 and accepted on that date, designated 1st Regiment of Light Dragoons.]
      (Aug 1776 - August 1777) Marched to Fredericksburg, Virginia, there for 1 year.
      Marched to Winchester, Va., Princeton
      Marched to Frederickstown, Maryland. Inoculated with many for the smallpox.
      Marched to Redding, Penn.
      Marched Trenton, in pursuit of the British who had left New York.
      Marched to Princeton and into winter quarters in the Wallace Edifice, remained there until the following spring.
      Marched through Amboy and to within about five miles of New York City.
      Marched to White Plains (HQ of Washington), was on bank of the Delaware during battle of White Plains.
      Marched to Trenton,
      Marched to Brunswick,
      Marched to Springfield,
      Marched to Amboy,
      Marched to Elizabethtown,
      Marched to Morristown,
      Marched to Trenton. After the battle there and at Princeton was fought
      Marched to Princeton, stationed for the winter (previous to the Battle of Monmouth Courthouse).
      Marched to Monmouth Courthouse [June 28, 1778] and was there in the battle.
      Marched to Hackensack
      Marched to Old Tappan, attacked at night by British. [28 Sept]
      Marched to Trenton
      Marched to Philadelphia where he remained until the spring of 1779
      Then to Baltimore where he was honorably discharged.

      BIOGRAPHY: Historical date-line as shown in the book Dragoon Diary, by C.F. William Maurer, with some information provided by Ronald Bassett:
      - 9 January, 1777: Gen. Washington appoints Col. Baylor as commander of a Regiment of Horse.
      - April 1777: Col. George Baylor is in Virginia to recruit troopers into 3rd Cont. Light Dragoons
      - June 1777: Baylor’s unit is short 130 men
      - July 1777: Bland near Bondbrook, NJ; moved through Trenton
      - 21 August 1777: Col’s Baylor & Bland ordered to march from “crossroads” to Trenton.
      - 23 Aug: From Nicetown, PA., through Philadelphia.
      - 26 Aug: Under command of Count Pulaski, Baylor & Bland with 10,000 men located SW of Wilmington. Dragoons go with Gen. Washington to reconnoiter the British, who are landing troops.
      - 29 Aug: Washington orders all troops out of Philadelphia.
      - 11 Sept: Battle of Brandywine.
      - 21 Sept: Count Pulaski, Chief of the American Light Dragoons, as Brigadier General.
      - 4 Oct: Washington attacks Germantown, Light Horse used for communications.
      - 2 Nov: Army moves to Whitemarsh.
      - 15 Nov: Three troops of Col. Baylor’s Regiment are at White Marsh. [Same as White Plains?]
      - 4 - 5 Dec: Possible British attack on HQ at White Marsh. Bland’s & Baylor’s Regiments of Light Dragoons to watch enemy movements.
      - 5 - 7 Dec: Battle around White Marsh.
      - 18 Dec: Winter quarters at Valley Forge. 3rd CLD were quartered in NJ.
      - 1 Jan, 1778: 3d Continental Light Dragoons had 11 officers, 19 NCOs, 5 staff officers, 92 Rank & File, 127 total.
      - 25 March: Dragoons to be headquartered in Evesham and Springfield.
      - 6 April: 3rd Dragoons are in Trenton, NJ.
      - 18 May: Clough’s dragons take part in attack during a British dance ball.
      - 29 May: White & blue material bought for 3rd CLD uniforms.
      - 10 June: All Cavalry ordered to assemble at Valley Forge.
      - 28 June: 3rd CLD harass British rear guard, then are forced into battle near Monmouth Court House. Dragoons used as messengers between Commander in Chief and Field officers. Washington sends a note to Gen. Lee, by member of 1st troop, Third Dragoons, assigned to the Commander in Chief’s personal Guard. Lee disregards note, Lee is court martialed by Washington.
      - 23 July: Letter from Washington to Col. Bland, have troops inoculated for Small Pox.[Noted by Bassett]
      - 28 July: Hackensack, NJ. Maj. Clough (1st CLD) and 80 dragoons forage for livestock near Bergen Point.
      - 20 Sept: Col. Baylor returns to take command of 3rd CLD from Maj. Alexander Clough, at the regimental camp in Hackensack, Bergen Co., NJ. Baylor notifies Washington that he had a “pattern coat” which was to be the fashion of the regiment, and unit would be uniformed by springtime. Thus it seems that the unit was not in a standard uniform at this time.
      Note: Washington had great respect for Baylor, formally his aide-de-camp, and attached the First Troop of The Commander in Chief’s Guard to the 3rd CLD [Known as Martha Washington’s Own or Martha’s Horse]. This troop was part of the elite household guard, tasked to protect the person of General & Mrs. Washington. Lt. George Lewis, son of Washington’s sister, was second in command of this troop. Men in this guard would be between 5’ 8” and 5’ 10” tall, well drilled, and handsomely and well built. On 26 Sept Capt. Lewis’s First Troop rejoined the regiment in Peramus, but Capt. Lewis was not with them. Most of this unit was from Massachusetts.
      - About 27 Sept: Washington orders Col. Baylor to join Putnam’s Brigade at Clarks Town, 3CLD were quartered in Harrington, now known as River Vale, NJ, originally part of the Tappan patent and then known as Old Tappan. This position put the unit between the American Army at Clarks Town and British foraging units.
      - 27 Sept: 3rd CLD leave Paramus in early morning and take up position near Hackensack River, often called “over the kill”, some three miles from Tappan Village. The troop was familiar with area, as after the Battle of Monmouth the previous spring, they had passed through the area en route to positions around Hackensack and Paramus. This location was known by various names, including Haring town, Old Tappan, and today it is township of River Vale, NJ.
      - 28 Sept, 1778: Col. Baylor’s force consisted of about 12 officers and 104 enlisted men, with many officers and enlisted men being utilized on detached service. At about 3 am the British, assisted by local Tory guides, made a surprise bayonet assault on the sleeping dragoons housed in several houses and barns. With cries of “No quarter,””Skiver him,””Kill him!” 57 dragoons and 9 officers were cut down, wounded or taken prisoner. None of the dragoons was younger than 18 or older than 26. Both Col. Baylor and Maj. Clough were wounded.
      - 5 Nov: What is left of the Regiment is sent to Bristol, Pennsylvania. Major Washington takes command of 3rd CLD
      - 20 Nov at Bristol.
      - 27 Nov: Unit sent to Frederick or “Hagar’s Town”, Maryland.
      - 28 Feb 1779: Frederick, MD, Strength Report shows 18 Rank and File are listed as Present/Sick, 3 Absent/Sick.
      - 8 March: 3rd CLD ordered to furnish a guard for the Convention Army marching to Charlottesville.
      - 7 May: 3rd CLD ordered to the south without delay, joining Col. Bland’s regiment.
      - 21 May: Washington orders Col. Wm Washington to proceed therewith to the Southern Army.
      - May 1779: Pvt. Wm Bassett’s declaration states “he was honorably discharged in writing by Capt. John Stith by Command of Col. Baylor in the month of May 1779.” It is assumed the discharge was made due to wounds and prior to the units move to join the Southern Army.

      1779 - The Move West:
      It is believed that William joined Daniel Boone, with a group of Baptists, into Kentucky in about 1780. This may have been the same group that included Boone's family, which had been living in North Carolina.

      1781 - March, 1781, Inhabitants of Craig’s Station fled to Daniel Boone's Station near what is now Athens, Kentucky. Within hours after they abandoned Craig's Station, an Indian raiding party burned the settlement, which led to its second name. [This may be when William’s war records were burned, per his declaration of service]

      1782: Served under George Rogers Clark Shawnee Expedition, in Capt. James Ray's Company of Lincoln Militia.

      1782 - 19 August 1782: Battle of Blue Licks was fought on August 19, 1782, and was the last battle of the American Revolutionary War fought in Kentucky.
      With the remaining force of approximately 50 British rangers and 300 American Indians, Caldwell and McKee crossed into Kentucky. They hoped to surprise the settlement of Bryan's Station, but the settlers had learned of the approach of the army and "forted up." Caldwell and McKee's force laid siege to Bryan's Station on August 15, 1782, but withdrew on August 17 when they learned that a force of Kentucky militia was on the way.
      The Kentucky militia who came to the relief of Bryan's Station on August 18 consisted of about 47 men from Fayette County and about 135 from Lincoln County. The highest-ranking officer, Colonel John Todd of the Fayette militia, was in overall command; under him were two lieutenant colonels, Stephen Trigg of Lincoln County and Daniel Boone of Fayette County.
      The Kentuckians reached the Licking River on the morning of August 19, near a spring and salt lick known as the Lower Blue Licks. On the other side of the river, a few Indian scouts could be seen. Behind the Indians was a hill around which the river made a loop. Colonel Todd called a council and asked [Daniel] Boone, the most experienced woodsman, for his opinion. Boone, who had been growing increasingly suspicious about the overly obvious trail the Indians had been leaving, advised his fellow officers that the Indians were trying to draw them into an ambush.
      Major McGary, apparently eager to prove that he was not a coward as Todd's earlier criticism had suggested, urged an immediate attack. He mounted his horse and rode across the ford in the river, shouting, "Them that ain't cowards, follow me." Men began to follow, as did the officers, who hoped to at least make an orderly attack. "We are all slaughtered men," said Boone as he crossed the river.
      On the other side of the river, most of the men dismounted and formed into a battle line of three or four divisions. They advanced up the hill, Todd and McGary in the center, Trigg on the right, Boone on the left. As Boone had suspected, Caldwell's force was waiting on the other side of the hill, concealed in ravines. As the Kentuckians reached the summit, the Indians opened fire with devastating effect. After only five minutes, the center and right of the Kentucky line gave way; only Boone's men on the left managed to push forward. Todd and Trigg, easy targets on horseback, were quickly shot down.
      The Kentuckians began to flee wildly back down the hill, fighting hand-to-hand with the Indians who had flanked them. McGary rode up to Boone's company and told him that everyone was retreating and that Boone was now surrounded. Boone gathered his men for a withdrawal. He grabbed a riderless horse and ordered his son, Israel Boone, to mount and make an escape. Israel refused to leave his father, however, and was shot through the neck as Daniel searched for another horse. Boone saw that his son's wound was mortal, mounted the horse, and fled.

      1786 - 22 Nov 1786: He was married at Mercer, Kentucky, to Margaret “Peggy” McQuiddy.

      1791 - 14 Apr 1791 to 08 Oct 1808: Seven children born at Simpson, (Franklin Co), Kentucky.
      14 July 1811: Last child born at Brooksville, Bracken, Kentucky.

      1811: The Battle of Tippecanoe was fought in 1811 between United States forces led by Governor William Henry Harrison of the Indiana Territory. [An old family letter states it is belived William was “a captain” at the battle, but there is no record to prove it]

      1812 - 15 Aug/14 Oct 1812: War of 1812: William Bassett shown as Private, enlisted 15 Aug 1812 to 14 Oct 1812, Capt. William Kerley's Co., First Rifle Regiment, KY. Son James also served, with Daniel Boone's 2nd cousin, Isaac Boone. <http://www.rootsweb.com/~kyfrankl/r-raisin.htm>

      1817 - 28 June 1817: First Land Owners, Ripley Co., IN: Original Land Purchasers of Ripley County, IN. Bassett, William, Tract Book 1, Pg 34.

      1820 US Census; Brown Twp, Ripley County, Indiana.

      1821 - Record of Madison Baptist Association, 6 May 1826, say the Middle Fork of Indian Kentucky Church was founded in 1821 with eight members. James and Mary Benham deeded land to the deacons, John O'Neal and William Bassett, on 6 May 1826 (Ripley Co. Deed Book A p. 270.)

      1838 - 4 Oct 1838: Makes last will.

      1840 - 6 Feb 1840, Death. He is buried on the family farm in Brown Township, Cross Plains, Ripley Co., Indiana. His wife and a daughter are also buried in the well kept grave site [Per two visits by Ronald Bassett during the 1980's]

      BIOGRAPHY:
      First Land Owners, Ripley Co., IN: Original Land Purchasers of Ripley County, IN
      Bassett, William, Tract Book 1, Pg 34: 28 June 1817.
      http://www.rootsweb.com/~inripchs/landa-b.html

      Ancestry.com BASSETT Wm ARW Records - Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970
      William Bassett Sr ; SAR Membership Number: 79001
      Birth Date: 18 Apr 1755 Birth Place: Surrey, England
      Death Date: 6 Feb 1840 Death Place: Ripley, Indiana
      Spouse: Margaret McQuidy Birth Date: 1768 Death Date: 1844
      Children: Sarah Bassett Birth Date: 1796 Death Date: 7 May 1874
      Spouse: George William Nicholson Birth Date: 24 Mar 1789 Death Date: 24 Jun 1865
      Children: Thomas Jefferson Nicholson, Birth Date: 3 Apr 1827, Death Date: 12 Oct 1902
      Spouse: Julia Elizabeth McGee
      Children: James Samuel Nicholson Birth Date: 16 Aug 1854, Death Date: 7 Jul 1928
      Spouse: Margaret J McConnell
      Children: Lloyd Leslie Nicholson, Birth Date: 18 Dec 1888
      Spouse: Helen Roenna Rice
      Children: Bruce Howland Nicholson Birth Date: 1 Oct 1915, Birth Place:Renwick, Humboldt, Iowa
      Source Citation: SAR Membership Number 79001.
      Source Information: Ancestry.com. U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
      Original data: Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970. Louisville, Kentucky: National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Microfilm,


      Daniel Boone:
      Bassett family oral history/legend states that Wm Bassett and the McQuiddys were close friends of Daniel Boone, and Bassett is assumed to have come to Kentucky with Boone in Sept. 1779. Peggy McQuiddy’s brother, John, was Boone’s blacksmith.
      In 1778 Boone and his men captured by Shawnees while making salt on February 9; he escapes in June; siege of Boonesborough, September 7-18; rejoins Rebecca and children, who had returned to North Carolina.
      Sept, 1779 Leads large party of emigrants from North Carolina to Kentucky in September; December 25 settles Boone's Station, north of the Kentucky River, among these settlers were Abraham Lincoln's grandmother and grandfather.
      1780 Participates in attack on Shawnee towns in Ohio; brother Edward killed by Shawnees in October. “I settled my family in Boonsborough once more; and shortly after, on the sixth day of October 1780, I went in company with my brother to the Blue Licks; and, on our return home, we were fired upon by a party of Indians.” Daniel Boone
      1781 Takes elected seat in Virginia assembly in April; captured by invading British forces in June, but soon released.
      1782 One of the commanding officers at the Kentuckians' defeat by Indians at the Blue Licks, where son Israel is killed, August 19; in command of a company that attacks Shawnee towns in November.
      Boone returned to North Carolina in order to bring his family back to Kentucky. In the autumn of 1779, a large party of emigrants came with him, including the grandfather of Abraham Lincoln. Rather than remain in Boonesborough, Boone founded the nearby settlement of Boone's Station. Boone began earning money at this time by locating good land for other settlers. Transylvania land claims had been invalidated after Virginia created Kentucky County, and so settlers needed to file new land claims with Virginia. In 1780, Boone collected about $20,000 in cash from various settlers and traveled to Williamsburg to purchase their land warrants. While he was sleeping in a tavern during the trip, the cash was stolen from his room. Some of the settlers forgave Boone the loss; others insisted that he repay the stolen money, which took him several years to do.
      A popular image of Boone which emerged in later years is that of the backwoodsman who had little affinity for "civilized" society, moving away from places like Boonesborough when they became "too crowded". In reality, however, Boone was a leading citizen of Kentucky at this time. When Kentucky was divided into three Virginia counties in November 1780, Boone was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the Fayette County militia. In April 1781, Boone was elected as a representative to the Virginia General Assembly, which was held in Richmond. In 1782, he was elected sheriff of Fayette County.[21] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/>
      Meanwhile, the American Revolutionary War continued. Boone joined General George Rogers Clark's invasion of the Ohio country in 1780, fighting in the Battle of Piqua on 7 August. In October, when Boone was hunting with his brother Ned, Shawnees shot and killed Ned. Apparently thinking that they had killed Daniel Boone, the Shawnees beheaded Ned and took the head home as a trophy. In 1781, Boone traveled to Richmond to take his seat in the legislature, but British dragoons under Banastre Tarleton captured Boone and several other legislators near Charlottesville. The British released Boone on parole several days later. During Boone's term, Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown in October 1781, but the fighting continued in Kentucky unabated. Boone returned to Kentucky and in August 1782 fought in the Battle of Blue Licks, in which his son Israel was killed. In November 1782, Boone took part in another Clark expedition into Ohio, the last major campaign of the war.

      BIOGRAPHY:
      http://www.earlyamerica.com/lives/boone/chapt3/
      Boone’s own story
      On the twenty-second day of June 1780, a large party of Indians and Canadians, about six hundred in number, commanded by Col. Bird, attacked Riddle's and Martin's stations, at the forks of Licking River, with six pieces of artillery. They carried this expedition so secretly, that the unwary inhabitants did not discover them, until they fired upon the forts; and, not being prepared to oppose them, were obliged to surrender themselves miserable captives to barbarous savages, who immediately after tomahawked one man and two women, and loaded all the others with heavy baggage, forcing them along toward their towns, able or unable to march. Such as were weak and faint by the way, they tomahawked. The tender women, and helpless children, fell victims to their cruelty. This, and the savage treatment they received afterwards, is shocking to humanity, and too barbarous to relate.
      The hostile disposition of the savages, and their allies, caused General Clark, the commandant at the Falls of the Ohio, immediately to begin an expedition with his own regiment, and the armed force of the country, against Pecaway, the principal town of the Shawanese, on a branch of Great Miami, which he finished with great success, took seventeen scalps, and burnt the town to ashes, with the loss of seventeen men.
      About this time I returned to Kentucky with my family; and here, to avoid an enquiry into my conduct, the reader being before informed of my bringing my family to Kentucky, I am under the necessity of informing him that, during my captivity with the Indians, my wife, who despaired of ever seeing me again, expecting the Indians had put a period to my life, oppressed with the distresses of the country, and bereaved of me, her only happiness, had, before I returned, transported my family and goods, on horses, through the wilderness, amidst a multitude of dangers, to her father's house in North-Carolina.
      Shortly after the troubles at Boonsborough, I went to them, and lived peaceably there until this time. The history of my going home, and returning with my family, forms a series of difficulties, an account of which would swell a volume, and being foreign of my purpose, I shall purposely omit them.
      I settled my family in Boonsborough once more; and shortly after, on the sixth day of October 1780, I went in company with my brother to the Blue Licks; and, on our return home, we were fired upon by a party of Indians.
      The severity of this winter caused great difficulties in Kentucky. The enemy had destroyed most of the corn the summer before. This necessary article was scarce, and dear; and the inhabitants lived chiefly on the flesh of buffalo. The circumstances of many were very lamentable: however, being a hardy race of people, and accustomed to difficulties and necessities, they were wonderfully supported through all their sufferings, until the ensuing autumn, when we received abundance from the fertile soil.
      Towards Spring, we were frequently harassed by Indians; and, in May 1782, a party assaulted Ashton's station, killed one man, and took a Negro prisoner. Capt. Ashton. with twenty-five men, pursued, and overtook the savages, and a smart fight ensued, which lasted two hours; but they being superior in number, obliged Captain Ashton's party to retreat, with the loss of eight killed, and four mortally wounded; their brave commander himself being numbered among the dead.
      The Indians continued their hostilities; and, about the tenth of August following, two boys were taken from Major Hoy's station. This party was pursued by Capt. Holder and seventeen men, who were also defeated, with the loss of four men killed, and one wounded. Our affairs became more and more alarming. Several stations which had lately been erected in the country were continually infested with savages, stealing their horses and killing the men at every opportunity. In a field, near Lexington, an Indian shot a man, and running to scalp him, was himself shot from the fort, and fell dead upon his enemy.
      Every day we experienced recent mischiefs. The barbarous savage nations of Shawanese, Cherokees, Wyandots, Tawas, Delawares, and several others near Detroit, united in a war against us, and assembled their choicest warriors at old Chelicothe, to go on the expedition, in order to destroy us, and entirely depopulate the country.
      Their savage minds were inflamed to mischief by two abandoned men, Captains M'Kee and Girty. These led them to execute every diabolical scheme; and, on the fifteenth day of August, commanded a party of Indians and Canadians, of about five hundred in number, against Briant's station, five miles from Lexington. Without demanding a surrender, they furiously assaulted the garrison, which was happily prepared to oppose them; and, after they had expended much ammunition in vain, and killed the cattle round the fort, not being likely to make themselves masters of this place, they raised the siege, and departed in the morning of the third day after they came, with the loss of about thirty killed, and the number of wounded uncertain. Of the garrison four were killed, and three wounded.
      On the eighteenth day Col. Todd, Col. Trigg, Major Harland, and myself, speedily collected one hundred and seventy-six men, well armed, and pursued the savages. They had marched beyond the Blue Licks to a remarkable bend of the main fork of Licking River, about forty-three miles from Lexington, where we overtook them on the nineteenth day. The savages observing us, gave way; and we, being ignorant of their numbers, passed the river. When the enemy saw our proceedings, having greatly the advantage of us in situation, they formed the line of battle, from one bend of Licking to the other, about a mile from the Blue Licks.
      An exceeding fierce battle immediately began, for about fifteen minutes, when we, being overpowered by numbers, were obliged to retreat, with the loss of sixty-seven men, seven of whom were taken prisoners. The brave and much-lamented Colonels Todd and Trigg, Major Harland, and my second son, were among the dead. We were informed that the Indians, numbering their dead, found they had four killed more than we; and therefore, four of the prisoners they had taken were, by general consent, ordered to be killed, in a most barbarous manner, by the young warriors, in order to train them up to cruelty; and then they proceeded to their towns.
      On our retreat we were met by Col. Logan, hastening to join us, with a number of well armed men. This powerful assistance we unfortunately wanted in the battle; for notwithstanding the enemy's superiority of numbers, they acknowledged that, if they had received one more fire from us, they should undoubtedly have given way. So valiantly did our small party fight, that, to the memory of those who unfortunately fell in the battle, enough of honour cannot be paid. Had Col. Logan and his party been with us, it is highly probable we should have given the savages a total defeat.
      I cannot reflect upon this dreadful scene, but sorrow fills my heart. A zeal for the defence of their country led these heroes to the scene of action, though with a few men to attack a powerful army of experienced warriors. When we gave way, they pursued us with the utmost eagerness, and in every quarter spread destruction. The river was difficult to cross, and many were killed in the flight, some just entering the river, some in the water, others after crossing, in ascending the cliffs. Some escaped on horseback, a few on foot; and, being dispersed every where in a few hours, brought the melancholy news of this unfortunate battle to Lexington. Many widows were now made. The reader may guess what sorrow filled the hearts of the inhabitants, exceeding any thing that I am able to describe.
      Being reinforced, we returned to bury the dead, and found their bodies strewed every where, cut and mangled in a dreadful manner. This mournful scene exhibited a horror almost unparalleled: Some torn and eaten by wild beasts; those in the river eaten by fishes; all in such a putrified condition, that no one could be distinguished from another.
      As soon as General Clark, then at the Falls of the Ohio, who was ever our ready friend, and merits the love and gratitude of all his countrymen, understood the circumstances of this unfortunate action, he ordered an expedition, with all possible haste, to pursue the savages, which was so expeditiously effected, that we overtook them within two miles of their towns, and probably might have obtained a great victory, had not two of their number met us about two hundred poles before we came up. These returned quick as lightening to their camp with the alarming news of a mighty army in view.
      The savages fled in the utmost disorder, evacuated their towns, and reluctantly left their territory to our mercy. We immediately took possession of Old Chelicothe, without opposition, being deserted by its inhabitants. We continued our pursuit through five towns on the Miami rivers, Old Chelicothe, Pecaway, New Chelicothe, Will's Towns, and Chelicothe, burnt them all to ashes, entirely destroyed their corn, and other fruits, and every where spread a scene of desolation in the country. In this expedition we took seven prisoners and five scalps, with the loss of only four men, two of whom were accidentally killed by our own army.
      This campaign in some measure damped the spirits of the Indians, and made them sensible of our superiority. Their connections were dissolved, their armies scattered, and a future invasion put entirely out of their power; yet they continued to practice mischief secretly upon the inhabitants, in the exposed parts of the country.
      In October following, a party made an excursion into that district called the Crab Orchard, and one of them, being advanced some distance before the others, boldly entered the house of a poor defenceless family, in which was only a Negro man, a woman and her children, terrified with the apprehensions of immediate death. The savage, perceiving their defenceless situation, without offering violence to the family, attempted to captivate the Negro, who happily proved an over-match for him, threw him on the ground, and, in the struggle, the mother of the children drew an axe from a corner of the cottage, and cut his head off, while her little daughter shut the door. The savages instantly appeared, and applied their tomahawks to the door. An old rusty gun-barrel, without a lock, lay in a corner, which the mother put through a small crevice, and the savages, perceiving it, fled. In the mean time, the alarm spread through the neighbourhood; the armed men collected immediately, and pursued the ravagers into the wilderness. Thus Providence, by the means of this Negro, saved the whole of the poor family from destruction.
      From that time, until the happy return of peace between the United States and Great Britain, the Indians did us no mischief. Finding the great king beyond the water disappointed in his expectations, and conscious of the importance of the Long Knife, and their own wretchedness, some of the nations immediately desired peace; to which, at present, they seem universally disposed, and are sending ambassadors to General Clark, at the Falls of the Ohio, with the minutes of their Councils; a specimen of which, in the minutes of the Piankashaw Council, is subjoined.
      To conclude, I can now say that I have verifies the saying of an old Indian who signed Col. Henderson's deed. Taking me by the hand, at the delivery thereof, "Brother," says he, "we have given you a fine land, but I believe you will have much trouble in settling it."
      My footsteps have often been marked with blood, and therefore I can truly subscribe to its original name. Two darling sons, and a brother, have I lost by savage hands, which have also taken from me forty valuable horses, and abundance of cattle. Many dark and sleepless nights have I been a companion for owls, separated from the cheerful society of men, scorched by the summer's sun, and pinched by the winter's cold, an instrument ordained to settle the wilderness. But now the scene is changed: peace crowns the sylvan shade.
      What thanks, what ardent and ceaseless thanks are due to that all-superintending Providence which has turned a cruel war into peace, brought order out of confusion, made the fierce savages placid, and turned away their hostile weapons from our country! May the same Almighty Goodness banish the accursed monster, war, from all lands, with her hated associates, rapine and insatiable ambition! Let peace, descending from her native heaven, bid her olives spring amidst the joyful nations; and plenty, in league with commerce, scatter blessings from her copious hand!”

      RIPLEY CO IN HISTORY:
      1. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~inripley/1rchsbooks.htm
      Family and County History Books at the Ripley County Historical Society.
      The following is a list of books available for research and/or purchase through the RCHS. For inormation on prices and shipping charges, inqueries on family books, please contact the Ripley County Hisotrical Society .
      Ripley County Historical Society, P.O. Box 525 , Versailles, Indiana 47042
      List provided by the Ripley County Historical Society
      - William and Margaret McQuiddy Bassett [Copy owned by Ronald Bassett]
      - More Room - By Dowers
      - McQuinty, McQuiddy, McQuody
      http://www.countyhistory.com/ripley/start.html
      A Few Facts About Ripley County:
      Ripley County was organized April 10, 1818. Ripley County is divided into 11 Civil Townships as follows: Adams, Brown, Center, Delaware, Franklin, Jackson, Johnson, Laughery, Otter Creek, Shelby and Washington.
      William Bassett, a soldier in the Revolutionary War, is buried in Ripley County. This information was obtained from "Roster of Soldiers and Patriots of the American Revolution Buried in Indiana, Volume II" published by the Indiana Daughters of the American Revolution in 1966.
      2. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~inripley/history.htm
      History of Ripley County Indiana
      Ripley County: named for hero of the War of 1812
      Rich in history that saw the Miami, Delaware, Potawatomi, and Shawnee Indians hunting the area, Ripley County became a part of the State of Indiana after a proposal in 1816 that a new county be formed. This county was named for General Eleazer Wheelock Ripley, a hero of the War of 1812.
      On January 7, 1818, by an act of the General Assembly, John DePauw from Washington County, Charles Beggs of Franklin County, and W.H. Eades of Jennings County, were appointed to select a site for the new county seat. Earning three dollars a day for this task, the first three Commissioners settled on a hundred acre tract donated by John Paul of Madison (Jefferson County). The county seat was named Versailles in honor of DePauw's native city in France and was laid out as a town of 186 lots by John Ritchie.
      Ripley County, located in the southeastern part of Indiana, has 450 square miles or 288,000 acres. It is 27 miles north to south and 19 miles east to west with an elevation ranging from 600 feet to 100 feet above sea level. Laughery Creek, named for Colonel Archibold Lochry who fought in the Revolutionary War, flows through the county. In 1826, there were only, Millersburg, Napoleon and Versailles.
      http://www.countyhistory.com/ripley/start.html
      3. A Few Facts About Ripley County:
      Ripley County is divided into 11 Civil Townships as follows: Adams, Brown, Center, Delaware, Franklin, Jackson, Johnson, Laughery, Otter Creek, Shelby and Washington
      Ripley County was organized April 10, 1818.

      BIOGRAPHY:
      THE PEOPLE’S HISTORY OF RIPLEY COUNTY, INDIANA COMPILER, VIOLET E. TOPH, VERSAILLES, INDIANA
      FOREWORD BY THE COMPILER
      Because of the lapse of time since the organization of Ripley County as a unit of the State
    Person ID I35  7B William Bassett of Cross Plains, Indiana
    Last Modified 2 Aug 2011 

    Family ID F44  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Margaret McQuiddy,   b. 1768, , Spotsylvania, Virgina, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 26 Sep 1844, Cross Plains, Brown Twp, Ripley, Indiana, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 76 years) 
    Married 22 Nov 1786  , Mercer, Kentucky, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  [16, 17
    Notes 
    • SOURCES
      1. ! LDS microfilm 0191840, Mercer County, Kentucky, Marriage Bond Book, 1786-1797; Loose Papers, 1786? 1794. Also printed in the McQuiddy Family History, CH 63, pages 379-406
      Handwritten note on one side of a sheet of paper: "Know all men by these Presents that we William Bassett & John Mcquire are held & firmly bound unto Patrick Henry Esq Govr of Virginia in the sum of fifty pounds Current Money to the payment Where of to be made to the said Governor or his Successors We bind ourselves our Heirs Ex'ors Adm'ors jointly & severally firmly these presents Sealed with our seals & dated this 22nd day of November 1786. The Condition of the above Obligation is such that [whereas a]* marriage shortly intended to be solemnized Between William Bassett & Margret Mcquidy for Which a Licence was issued now if there [be]** no Lawful Cause to obstruct the Marriage then this Obligation to be Void or Else to Remain in full. William Bassett {seal} John Mcquidy {seal}
      Sealed & Delivered in Presence of John Warren."
      * Illegible on original, so wording provided is from similar bonds found in same source.
      ** Word missing on original, word taken from other bonds in same source.
      Handwritten on a separate scrap of paper: "I fully give my Consent for Mr. Wm Bassett to get licence to Marey my Daughter Marget given under my hand this 22 November 1786. Mary Mcquidey." [Note: Peggy was age 17 or 18]

      2. Mercer County Register, vol. 1, page 4 (LDS film 0192267) has: 1786, Nov. 22 - William Bassett + Margaret McQuiddy, by James Smith. But book Early Marriage Records of Mercer County, compiled by the Jane McAfee Chapter NSDAR, of Harrodsburg, Ky., shows: 1786, Nov. 22 - Bassett, Wm. and Margt McGurdy, minister shown as Rice.

      3. (Will McGuire Jan 2007)
      The Reverend David Rice was known as the patriarch of Presbyterianism in Kentucky, he founded several small Presbyterian churches but is best known as the founder of the Presbyterian Church at Crab Orchard in Lincoln County in 1783, David Rice was previously the first minister of the Peaks of Otter Presbyterian Church in Bedford County, VA in 1774, Lawrence McGuire and family were founding members of that early church before the war.

      4. Note from Merritt Mullen (Desc. from Nancy ROE Bassett):
      "It is interesting that the Bond was made by William Basset and John Mcquire, but was signed by William Bassett and John Mcquidy. I suspect the Mcquire was just a mistake. The concent given by Margaret's mother, Mary, indicates that Margaret was underage and that her father was dead, both consistant with the data we have."

      5. Note by Ronald Bassett: The 1829 Bassett family bible clearly states Wm & Peggy were married on 27 Nov. 1786. I will assume that they had to take out the marriage bond/license prior to being married.

      6. Kentucky Marriages, 1802-1850 <http://www.ancestry.com>
      Spouse 1: Bassett, Wm. Spouse 2: McGurdy, Margt.
      Marriage Date: 22 Nov 1786 Marriage Location: Kentucky Mercer County
      Source Information: Dodd, Jordan. Kentucky Marriages, 1802-1850 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1997.Original data: Electronic transcription of marriage records held by the individual counties in Kentucky.

      LDS Sealing performed at the Oakland Temple on 2 April 1992 by Ronald & Jackqualyn Bassett.
      Other sealings:
      Sealing to Spouse: 10 MAR 1993 PROVO Margaret Peggy McGurty
      Sealing to Spouse: 06 JUL 1993 JRIVE MARGARET MC GURDY [13]
    Children 
    +1. Nancy Roe Bassett,   b. 27 Aug 1782, ,Franklin, Kintucky, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 11 Sep 1858, ,Owen, Kentucky, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 76 years)  [Adopted]
    +2. Thomas A Bassett, Sr.,   b. 14 Apr 1791, Simpson, (Franklin), Kentucky, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 14 Apr 1853, Cross Plains, Ripley, Indiana, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 62 years)
    +3. James Bassett,   b. 18 Nov 1793, Simpson, Franklin, Kentucky, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 18 Jul 1850, Cross Plains, Ripley, Indiana, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 56 years)
    +4. Sarah Ann Bassett,   b. 13 Jan 1796, Simpson, Franklin, Kentucky, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 7 May 1874, Cross Plains, Ripley, Indiana, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 78 years)
    +5. Elizabeth Bassett,   b. 2 Jan 1798, Simpson, Franklin, Kentucky, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Abt 1831, , Vermilion, Illinois, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 32 years)
    +6. Polly Mary Bassett,   b. 14 Aug 1801, Simpson, Franklin, Kentucky, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 29 Jan 1853, , Ripley, Indiana, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 51 years)
    +7. Rebecah Bassett,   b. 13 Sep 1803, Simpson, Franklin, Kentucky, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1853, , Ripley, Indiana, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 49 years)
    +8. Melinda Bassett,   b. 8 Feb 1805, Simpson, Franklin, Kentucky, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. AFT. 1870  (Age > 66 years)
    +9. William H Bassett, Jr.,   b. 8 Oct 1808, Simpson, Franklin, Kentucky, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 11 Apr 1877, Mount Vernon, Linn, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 68 years)
    +10. Harriet Bassett,   b. 14 Jul 1811, Brooksville, Bracken, Kentucky, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1888, Beaver City, Furnas, Nebraska, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 76 years)
    Family ID F36  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Sources 
    1. [S50] International Genealogical Index (R), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (Copyright (c) 1980, 1997, data as of February 1997).

    2. [S51] Ancestry File, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Batch #: P006921, Sheet #: , Source Call #: 0097139, 0097139.

    3. [S52] Ancestry File, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1903782., Film #: 1903782, Page #: , Ordinance #:.

    4. [S12] Ancestral File (TM), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

    5. [S53] Mercer County, KY, Marriages 1786-1794, (LDS Microfilm 0191840), LDS Microfilm 0191840.

    6. [S17] International Genealogical Index (R), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (Copyright (c) 1980, 1997, data as of February 1997).

    7. [S54] Ancestry file, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 0097139, 0097139., Batch #: P006921, Sheet #: , Source Call #: 0097139, 0097139.

    8. [S55] Ancestry file, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Film #: 1903782, Page #: , Ordinance #:.

    9. [S15] Ancestral File (TM), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (FamilySearch).

    10. [S56] Mercer County, KY, Marriage information 1786-1794, (LDS Microfilm 0191840), LDS Microfilm 0191840.

    11. [S57] #195.

    12. [S23] International Genealogical Index (R), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (Copyright (c) 1980, 2002, data as of January 11, 2004).
      Birth date: 18 Apr 1755, Surrey Co., England
      Death: 6 Feb 1840

    13. [S4] Bassett Family Bible, (Printed in 1829).

    14. [S23] International Genealogical Index (R), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (Copyright (c) 1980, 2002, data as of January 11, 2004), P006921- 1539-1812, #6906026 film.
      Name shown as William BASET, father: Michel BASET

    15. [S7] Bassett Family Bible, (Printed in 1829).

    16. [S4] Bassett Family Bible, (Printed in 1829).
      Owned by Ronald L. Bassett

    17. [S1057] Kentucky Marriages to 1850, (Ancestry.com).