Atlanta, GA -- Federal soldiers capture gun and fort.
(photographed by Barnard, George N., 1819-1902)
This photograph is from September or November 1864, and was taken on the outskirts of Atlanta, GA. A cannon much like this probably fired the shell that shot off the arm of Thomas ‘Tommie’ Bastin, III while in action just south of Jonesboro (Jonesborough) on Friday, Sept 2, 1864.
The purpose of the battle at Jonesboro, which is located just south of Atlanta, was to capture the railroad station, cutting off the rail line south to Macon, and hence the supply line for the Confederates who were holding Atlanta. After circling and bypassing Atlanta, traveling to the West and Southwest, a massive Federal charge was mounted during the Battle of Jonesboro, and the railroad station was finally captured on Friday, September 2, 1864 after two days of fighting. (It was probably during this Federal charge that Tommy was injured.) Late in the day, on the same day, Atlanta fell. The Confederates also withdrew six miles south on the same day, from Jonesboro to Lovejoy's Station, with the Federals in pursuit, and Tommie Bastin's unit, the 21st KY Volunteer Infantry (USA), was still advancing on Lovejoy's Station just south of Jonesboro on Saturday, September 3, 1864, when Tommie's severely injured left arm was completely amputated mid-way between the shoulder and elbow in a field hospital. Major General Sherman's departure from the area was about six weeks later, on November 15, 1864, as he began his March to the Sea.
President Abraham Lincoln's presidency reached an all-time low in the summer of 1864. Personal notes of the President from that time indicate that he was already preparing to help transition the government to whichever Democrat ended up running for the Presidency. By taking Atlanta, the war-weary North was given new hope, and President Abraham Lincoln, and V. P. Andrew Johnson won re-election by a wide margin over the Democratic party choice of General George B. McClellan for president, and George Pendleton for vice-president in the election of November 1864. Had Atlanta not fallen in September 1864, the presidential election, and even the war, would have had a different outcome. (McClellan was running on a platform of peaceful reconciliation with the South, to avoid further bloodshed -- i.e., on a peace platform.) The capture of the railroad supply line at Jonesboro sealed the fate of Atlanta, which, in turn, by falling to Federal troops, spelled the demise, within seven months, of the Confederacy itself.
Biography of Tommie Bastin
Thomas 'Tommie' Bastin, III was born in Caswell County, NC on 07 Apr 1818, but migrated with his parents, Thomas and Mary Atwell Bastin, to eastern Barren County, KY around 1830, when about 12 years old. (In partial confirmation of this story, his parents do appear on the 1830 US Census for Caswell County, and are on the 1840 Census for eastern Barren County, KY. Pension records from the US National Archives also verify that Tommie was born in Caswell County, NC. The traditional date, mentioned in a letter written in 1934 between two relatives, gives the date that they arrived in Kentucky as December 24, 1830 -- i.e, Christmas Eve 1830).
Tommie grew to be a large man, and was described as quite a jolly fellow in one letter written by a relative who knew him as a small girl. At the age of 22, he married Louanna Shofner (see their marriage bond, dtd. 1840). Ten years later, the 1850 Barren Co, KY Census shows him and his wife with four children at house 1091-1115: Thomas Bastin Jr, 32, farmer, born NC. His wife was Lee Ann, 34, born KY. They had: William, 8; James B, 6; Joseph H, 4; and Richard E, 4/12. Also a Mary A Shaftner, 25, born KY. (Mary Shofner was Louanna Shofner Bastin's sister.)When The War broke out, Tommie enlisted at the age of 43 in the Federal Army. (Three of his sons also enlisted.) On 1 November 1861, he enrolled as a "Musician" with the 21st KY Volunteer Infantry (USA) at Camp Ward, KY, which I believe to have been just outside Campbellsville, KY at the Green River Bridge. On 4 January 1864, he enrolled for 3 more years with the same Regiment as a Private, at Shellmound, TN.
Now, the role of "Musician" is a little misleading. It was normally reserved for boys age 12-18 who enlisted with the consent of a parent, and who had some talent for learning to play a drum or a fife. But, "Musicians" were classified as non-combatants, and were usually busy as litter bearers during battle with no fife or drum to be seen. Older men often also served in this role, and it was this role in which Tommie probably found himself. It should be noted, though, that this role was anything but non-hazardous. It was possibly this realization that led to his decision to become a Private, which was a combatant role, shortly after he enlisted as a "Musician", He also re-enlisted as a Private.
From US Army Records, the following was found (Thanks, Glenda!):
THOMAS BASTIN
Co. B, 21st Ky. Vol. Inf.
Enrolled: 1 November 1861 for 3 years
Mustered in: 30 December 1861 at Camp Ward
Musician
Note: "Re-enlisted, and transferred to 21st Kentucky Veteran Infantry."
THOMAS BASTIN
Private
Co. "B", 21st Ky. Vol. Inf.
Enrolled 4 January 1864 for 3 years
Mustered In: 11 January 1864 at Shellmound, TN
Note: "Wounded in Action at Jonesboro, GA. Sept. 3rd, 1864. Discharged March 20th, 1865 at Jeffersonville, Indiana, by reason of the loss of an arm."
From the complete military file on Thomas Bastin, III, from the National Archives, there is also confirmation that Tommie was born in Caswell County, NC, and we find a physical description of him!:
Height: one record said 5 ft. 6.5 inches while another record said 5 ft. 8 inches
Complexion: one record said fair and another record said dark (Probably a farmer's tan :-))
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: one record said Black and another record said Brown
Occupation upon entering the war: Farmer
Also, he is listed as a Musician ONLY on the Muster-in Roll. Thereafter, he is always referred to as a PRIVATE, even before re-enlisting in 1864 at Shellmound, TN.
With the help of Frederick E. Dyer's, A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, (Copyright 1908), a historical chronology of the Regiment in which Tommie served is available (p. 1206), and, assuming that he was with his Regiment until he was injured, we can follow his travels while with the 21st Ky Vol Inf:
21st REGIMENT INFANTRY
"Organized at Camps Hobson and Ward, Ky., and mustered in December 31, 1861 and January 2, 1862, at Green River Bridge, Ky. Attached to 11th Brigade, 1st Division, Army of the Ohio, to March, 1862. 11th Brigade, 5th Division, Army of the Ohio, to June, 1862. 7th Independent Brigade, Army of the Ohio, to July 1862. 23rd Independent Brigade, Army of the Ohio, to August, 1862. 23rd Brigade, 5th Division, Army of the Ohio to September, 1862. 23rd Brigade, 5th Division, 2nd Army Corps, Army of the Ohio, to November, 1862. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, Left Wing 14 Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to January, 1863. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 21st Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to October, 1863. Unattached, Army of the Cumberland, to January, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 4th Army Corps, to June 1865. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 4th Army Corps, to August, 1865. Dept. of Texas to December, 1865.
SERVICE - Duty at Green River Bridge, Ky, till March, 1862. Moved to Creelsboro; thence to Nashville, Tenn., and duty there till April 1. Moved to Columbia, Tenn., April 1-2; thence march to Shelbyville April 24, and duty there til June 11. Dumont's Expedition to Cumberland Mountain June 11-14. Expedition to Wartrace June 17-19. Moved to Tullahoma July 2, thence to Duck Bridge July 4. March to Louisville, Ky., in pursuit of Bragg August 20- September 19. Pursuit of Bragg into Kentucky October 1-22. Battle of Perryville October 8 (Reserve). Nelson's Cross Roads October 18. Pittman's Cross Roads October 19. Reconnoissance on Madison Road October 20. March to Nashville, Tenn., October 22-November 12, and duty there till December 26. Dobbins' Ferry, near Lavergne, December 9. Advance on Murfreesboro December 26-30. Battle of Stone River December 30-31, 1862 and January 1-3, 1863. At Murfreesboro till June. Middle Tenessee (or Tullahoma) Campaign June 23-July 7. Liberty Gap June 25-26. Occupation of Middle Tennessee till August 16. Passage of Cumberland Mountain and Tennessee River and Chickamauga (Ga.) Campaign August 16-September 22. Ringgold, Ga., September 11. Catlett's Gap September 15. At Whitesides during battle of Chickamauga September 19-20. At Chattanooga, Tenn., till October 1. Action at Anderson's (or Mountain Gap), near Smith's Cross Roads October 1. Anderson's Cross Roads October 2. Duty in Sequatchie Valley till November 19. Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign November 23-27. Tunnel Hill, Mission Ridge, November 24-25. Pursuit to Graysville November 26-27. Chickamauga Station November 26. March to relief of Knoxville November 28-December 18. At Chattanooga and Shellmound, Tenn., till January, 1864. Regiment veteranize January 11, 1864, and Veterans on furlough till March 30. Moved to Cleveland, thence to Blue Springs, Tenn., April 26. Atlanta (Ga.) Campaign May to September. Tunnel Hill May 6-7. Demonstrations on Rocky Faced Ridge and Dalton May 8-13. Buzzard's Roost Gap May 8-9. Battle of Resaca May 14-15. Near Kingston May 18-19. Near Cassville May 19. Advance on Dallas May 22-25. Operations on Pumpkin Vine Creek and battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills May 25-June 5. Burnt Hickory May 25. Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain June 10-July 2. Pine Hill June 11-14. Lost Mountain June 15-17. Assault on Kenesaw June 27. Ruff's Station, Smyrna Camp Ground, July 4. Chattahoochie River July 5-17. Peach Tree Creek July 19-20 Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25. Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25-30. Battle of Jonesboro August 31-September 1. Lovejoy Station September 2-6. Jonesboro September 5 and 12. Operations in North Georgia and North Alabama against Hood October 1-26. Moved to Nashville, Tenn.; thence to Pulaski, Tenn. Nashville Campaign November-December. Columbia, Duck River, November 24-27. Spring Hill November 29. Battle of Franklin November 30. Battle of Nashville December 15-16. Pursuit of Hood to the Tennessee River December 17-28. Moved to Huntsville, Ala., and duty there till March, 1865. Expedition to Bull's Gap and operations in East Tennessee March 15-April 22. At Nashville, Tenn., till June. Ordered to New Orleans, La., June 19; thence moved to Texas. Duty at Indianaola and Victoria till December. Mustered out December 9, 1865.
Regiment lost during service 3 Officers and 57 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 6 Officers and 152 Enlisted men by disease. Total 218."
From this, it is evident that Tommie Bastin was involved in considerable battles and campaigns, and only narrowly missed the Battle of Perryville because his unit was held in reserve. (The number of casualties in this battle ran quite high.) As for why, I can only speculate. Reading over the reports of the commanders of the Brigades in which the 21st served, it becomes obvious that the 21st was typically deployed as skirmishers, and largely avoided the heavy losses common to line columns. Skirmishers, and the more elite skirmishers, called sharpshooters, were used in the Civil War to impede the movement of enemy forces, or to operate as snipers. Units deployed as skirmishers were typically composed of men who were the best marksmen in their home communities.
Thomas 'Tommie' and Louanna Bastin were also the parents of William M. 'Bill' Bastin , and Richard Emory 'Dick' Bastin . 'Tommie' was a son of Thomas Bastin, Jr and his wife Mary W. (Atwell) Bastin, and was a Grandson of Thomas and Hannah Bastin of Caswell County, NC.
At the time of his death, Tommie was living about 3/4 mile north of Center, Metcalfe County, KY, with his wife Louanna. He died there on 22 May 1889. His coffin was made by Abraham T. Rock, who lived near Center, KY, and cost $1.50. (Listed in a work book of Mr. Rock's that he purchased from Altsheler and Snody at Three Springs, KY on June 15, 1876 for 15 cents. The book is presently in the possession of Vander Huffman of Hardyville, KY.) The date of the coffin is May 22, 1889. Source: Metcalfe Co (KY) Historical Society Journal, Vol IV, No. 4, 1985.
Tommie and Louanna Bastin are buried beside each other in a very old, now largely unkempt, rural cemetary. Both of their tombstones have been broken by a falling treelimb.
I would love to find a photo of Tommie and Louanna Bastin, and, clearly, there is a good possibility that one may exist. If anyone finds one, please write! They were my 3G Grandparents -- Gary Bastin
(Photo is from the Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, DIGITAL ID (b&w film copy neg.) cwp 4a39957, with no known copyright restrictions.)
For a very interesting look at Tommie Bastin's commanding general when he was injured, William Tecumseh Sherman, who is arguably the first modern warfare general, there was formerly an excellent Sherman article, but it is no longer on the web. It was a talk presented to the Pensacola (FL) Civil War Roundtable, and made a very strong case that Sherman's March to the Sea actually saved many lives, at the price of extreme destruction of personal property. Whereas Grant battled Lee's army in Virginia, in which many soldiers died, Sherman preferred instead to battle the Southern Psyche, cutting a 50-60 mile swathe across Georgia, in which, with very few exceptions, very few died, and the very will of the Confederates to continue to fight was attacked.
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