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- 1840 Federal Census of Troup County, Georgia
Thomas Bassett 1000100-1000200
1860 Federal Census of Randolph County, Alabama
Thomas Bassett 45 M Georgia
Mary 47 F Georgia
John A. 21 M Georgia
Edward W. 18 M Georgia
Francis M. 16 M Georgia
Thomas J. 13 M Alabama
William D. 12 M Alabama
Mary E. 9 F Alabama
1870 Federal Census of Almond, Randolph County, Alabama (10 Jul 1870)
Thomas Bassett 54 M Georgia Farmer 1000 500
Polly 57 F Georgia Keeps House
Thomas Jr. 23 M Alabama Farmer
William 21 M Alabama Farmer
Living next door
Caroline Bassett B 27 F Georgia Farm laborer
Amanda B 12 F Alabama Farm laborer
Lucinda M 10 F Alabama Farm laborer
Rose M 8 F Alabama Farm laborer
To? M 6 F Alabama Farm laborer
Aaron M 4 M Alabama Farm laborer
Rachel M 1 F Alabama
Thomas was first married to Mary Traylor who was born in Georgia in 1811, no date of birth is given, the year inscribed on her tombstone, in the old Sweetwater cemetery near Cragford, Ala. The cemetery is at present abondoned and was near the family plantation on the Little Tallapoosa river. Also the date of her death is given as Nov. 8, 1872, where about is unknown, neither is place of marriage. The family lived on the Wesobulga plantation when John Alexander was married to Miss Arnet Kittly and remained there until he entered the Confederate Army, his wife and small son remained with his father and his family.
John Alexander (J.A.) enlisted at Wesobulga, Ala. (the present town of Cragford) May 3rd, 1862 in Company G 46th Ala. Infantry Regular and took his boot training at Camp Shorter Locahapolka and served in the war three years. He was present on muster role May 15th, 1862 and was wounded June 5, 1863. He died of MIssissippi (yellow) fever during the siege of Vicksburge July 2nd 1863 two days before the Confederates surrendered according to the records, both at Washington, D.C. and the Veterans Administration in Montgomery, Ala. No inquires were made of him and his belongings were never claimed. These records were furnished by hospital personnel.
Arnet Kittly Bassett and her small son Thomas Edward remained at the plantation as the mother of John A., who lost three sons in the C.S.A., as a result her mind became affected and Arnet acted as nurse. She died Nov. 8th, 1872, after which Arnet and her son left the plantation. Edward W. served as a private in the C.S.A. and also died of the fever. J.A. Served as Top Sargent, the third son of Francis M. also served with the C.S.A. also died and is believed he died in southern Tenn. in Nov. of 1862, but no recorded information is available.
Arnet told of the day when the war ended at the plantation. The same day Thomas went to the town of Lineville to get the news of the end of hostilities. On returning home late, the next morning after breakfast, he told his son to go to the slave quarters and to tell the slaves to come to the house as he wanted to talke to them. After they had all arrived he said to them, the war was over and they were free and he had no more control over them. They were free to go anywhere that they wanted to go and do anything they liked. After a few moments of silence they began to cry. He was surprised and asked what was was wrong, "Aren't you glad to be free"? When the oldest who had been overseer looked at his master and siad "Marse Tom, we have no place to go and we have no money. All we know to do is to farm. We have no land, no money, no farm tools and no stock". Arnet said her father-in-law was very surprised as he had expected them to leave at once. Also, somewhat pleased, he told them that he had been runied by the war, but he had his land and tools as well as stock and if they wanted to stay, he would provide everything and whatever they made that the harvest would be divided with them. They were still there thirty years later when he was old and disabled and in a wheel chair. When on a second occassion he called them in again and told them they just had to leave and to begin to shift for themselves, again they began to cry and were crying when Eunice Bassett with her little daughter, Romain, came in and Romain said many years later as she looked at all those black faces with the tears running down their faces, she began to scream to the top of her voice, although she did not know what it was all about. Thomas remarried to a widow with two children. Her name was Aseneth Mayo and lived on the same farm until his death, Dec. 1st, 1905. His birth is given as Dec. 15th, 1815. He was buried between his two wives and his marker is engraved with a Masonic emblem. His three remaining children married and lived in Clay and Randolph Cos. all their lives. His only daughter who attended the local summer school, when on her way home would always pick a bouquet of wild flowers for her favorite slave, a girl called Rose and Rose would be waiting in a Hammock for the flowers as Mary came home.
Arnet Kittly Bassett left the farm when Mary, her Mother-in-law, passed away she took her son and lived with her widowed mother and near her two brothers. When young Ed was about thirteen years old, she, her mother with two brothers (Ben and Bailey) Ikttly) and Baileys family moved to Arkansas. They settled near Wilton in Little River Co.
Arnet and son, Ed, bought land in Sevier Co. near Benlomond, Ark. She later married James Bee Zachry, died Jan. 12, 1914. Thomas Ed married first Fannie D. Falls at Lockesburg, Ark. (date unknown) and lived at Wilton. The couple had three children: Clarence Mar. 7th, 1891 Perry July 2nd, 1892 Bessie Dec. 26th, 1893 Lonnie Apr. 14th, 1895.
Fannie D. Bassett died May 7th, 1896. T.E. married Bettie Loyd at Horatio, Ark. Jan. 6th, 1897. Their children were : George Dewey, May 18th, 1989; Edna, OCt. 27, 1900; Roy? Clyde? Tom July 4th, 1907, Clara Alice, Marie Grace, Fred, Glenn, Claudie Fay and Earnest. Ernest died in the second year of his age at Nashoba, Okla, and is buried at Antlers.
When Marie Grace was born, the family had run out of names to Lon and George wrote the names of two of their girl friends on paper and put them in a hat and had Tom to draw them out and Marie got a name of each of their girls. Lon's girl was Marie McQuirrey, and George's girl was Grace McLain.
Cemetery Inscriptions
Thomas Bassett b. Dec ??? 1815; died Dec 1, 1905, Another link is broken;
In our household band; But a chain is forming; In a better land.
Mary Bassett; Born 1811; Deic Nov. 3, 1872; Blessed are the dead;
Which die in the Lord.
Asenath Bassett Born Oct. 13, 1832; Died May 19, 1908; The gift of God is;
eternal life through; Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Bassett Family Association Database
1815 - 1905 (89 years)