From Pirates to Desperadoes: The Notorious Baisdens of Appalachia
The Evans Connection to the Baisden Brothers Gang
My maternal grandmother is Zona Marie Evans. Her parents were Dora Virginia Bell Smith and Printess John Evans. Printess, it has been told to me, was a very friendly, loving and kind man, which was not at all common for men on his mother's side of the family. His cousins were notorious for their hot tempers and quick triggers.Printess was the grandson of Phyrrus Evans and Sarah Baisden of Logan County, West Virginia. Sarah, the daughter of William Solomon Baisden and Mary Ann Chafin, had many brothers: William, Stanley, Harrison, John, and Joseph. Joseph's son, Stanley had quite the wild brood. Far from known for their congeniality, Stanley's boys were referred to as "the meanest sons-of-bitches that ever walked these hills" and were known to fight at the drop of a hat.
Who Were the Baisdens?
The Baisdens lived on Pigeon Creek, near the town of Kermit and would bounce between WV, VA and KY, wreaking havoc wherever they went. According to people who knew them, when the boys would ride into Logan, the people of the community would go inside their homes and lock the doors. Lee Smith paints a vivid image of the men's rough demeanor in her book "Oral History." She writes: "They killed 5 men at least, and maybe more. But nothing could ever be hung on them, nothing could be proved. Harrison had an ivory toothpick, I remember, on a gold chain, and shoulder-length black hair. I remember when they were building the courthouse tower, the Baisdens rode into town and shot out the brand new clock, and no sooner did they get it replaced, about five months later they had to send to Cincinnati for a new clock-then the Baisdens came back and shot that one out too. They cared nothing, nothing for human life."A Walk Through Time
A glimpse through the timeline of the "Baisden Brothers Era" as printed in newspapers across America supports these accounts. Dr. Harrison Baisden and Grant Bollman (later referred to as Yancey Bolin) had an altercation over a settlement, leading Bollman to stab Doc. Doc returned the favor by shooting him and killing him. Doc was charged with murder and set a bail of $2,000, a large sum in the 1800s.
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| Parkersburg Sentinel, Saturday, Aug 18, 1883 |
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| Huntington Advertiser, Saturday, July 31, 1886 |
Less than five years later, the Baisdens stir up their next newsworthy story with an altercation with Robert Irons. Robert Irons was having land surveyed and the Baisdens were not pleased about it. The men quarreled over this for some time and, according to Arthur Ratliff Jr. (fellow Baisden descendant and author), the next time Bob rode into town again, things really stirred up.
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| The Courier Journal, February 21, 1890 |
Accounts of this murder vary between newspaper articles, historians, and family members of Mr. Robert L. Irons. Though reported to have taken place at home, relatives report that the incident took place at a hotel diner.
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| Photo from Ancestry.com |
Ratliff reports that Dr. Harrison was itching for a fight and walked up to Bob and, in an ever-so-cocky manner, placed his hand upon Bob's leg. At that point, Bob pulled his pistol and cracked Harrison over the head with it. Naturally, Harrison was angry and said that if Bob ever came to his neck of the woods again, he would be a marked man. It is said that Irons sent word to him that he would be in Grundy, VA visiting his in-laws, the Hibbitts, and would not even be in the area. Upon hearing the news of the altercation and his whereabouts, Harrison's brothers, John Henry and Bill went to Grundy in search of Bob. They found him eating dinner with his family at a hotel and John Henry slid a nearby window up from outside, and reaching his arm through, shot Bob between the eyes while his family looked on in terror.
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| Lawrence Daily Gazette, April 21, 1890 |
When everyone you run with runs outside of the law, how can you be certain anyone who runs with you can be trusted? The Baisden brothers were cousins with the White boys via their mother's line. John Henry must have thought he and Lee White were thick as thieves considering Lee had committed crimes and been on the run with each other in the past; but, upon returning back home from the incident with Irons, John Henry discovered his cousin had stole his wife and moved her to the home of Jim Brewer to be with her. Needless to say, John Henry banded his cousins: William, John Smith, and James Baisden and out they set to the house of Jim Brewer.
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The Baltimore Sun, April 24, 1890
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The confrontation went as could be expected, though not exactly as he had planned. He was denied his wife and a shootout ensued.
In true Baisden fashion, the men opened fire on the Deputy Sheriff when he showed up at their home. Bible nor badge, God nor gun was powerful enough to put fear in these men. They believed in fighting till death and that they did.  |
The neighboring counties eventually grew tired of the Baisdens and their lawlessness. They set out to do whatever it took to bring the madness to an end. Governors from the joining states all issued warrants for arrest and Logan County Deputy Sheriff Bivins was ordered to posse up and go after the men.
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| The Gazette, April 30, 1890 |
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| Logan County Banner, Thursday, May 8, 1890 |
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Logan County Banner, Thursday, June 16, 1890
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Logan County Banner, Wednesday, August 6, 1890
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It soon became evident why that jail was keen on keeping him safe when others were out to hang him. The jail allowed him to escape. He had someone on the inside.
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Arkansas Democrat, Aug 6, 1890
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The Roanoke Times, Aug 21, 1890
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The Republic, Mar 3, 1891
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Clinch Valley News, July 31, 1891
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| The clock on Logan County Courthouse the Baisdens kept shooting. |
Sadly, the quick tempers and quick trigger fingers weren't limited to the elders in the family. Presumably, as a matter of culture and influence, the men of the younger generation followed suit and kept the tradition of not so organized crime alive.
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Even a doctor in the next generation of Baisdens couldn't keep his name and record clean. Manslaughter isn't nearly as bad as murder, considering it is not intentional but nevertheless, it opens the gate for more lawlessness and careless actions.
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| Logan Democrat, Thursday, April 11, 1911 |
John Smith Baisden was shot and killed by John Brewer and John Lee White, over a horse, in West Virginia on May 4, 1890. Female members of the family had married into the McCoy clan, thus the Baisdens were brought into the fight. It is believed that John Smith's murder was associated with the Feud.
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| JCourtesy of Mary Vance Boland on Findagrave.com |
The same day John Smith Baisden was murdered, the Hatfields kidnapped and imprisoned his infant son Ruby Harrison Baisden, along with some of the McCoys, in a Mingo County barn. According to his mother's obituary, Ruby Harrison Baisden was found by a roadside where he had been left for dead. Soon after John S. Baisden’s death, Martha, against the advice of family members, returned to Kentucky by horseback, traveling at night over lonely mountain trails with her son and daughter.
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| Reuben Harrison "Ruby Harry" Baisden Photo Courtesy of Jahovenier on ancestry.com |
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Lexington Herald, Sept 8, 1957
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One theory is that Jean Schmidt Baisden came to the United States with Lafayette from France. While there are Revolutionary War pension records stating that he served under Lafayette, there is no proof he came to America with him. Another tale passed on through the generations is that Jean Schmidt sailed from Bastogne, France (now Belgium) on a ship hauling silver to Canada. It has been said that upon reaching land, Jean Schmidt reported that he had been the victim of a bushwhacking and that the sailors on the ship with him had been killed and robbed. A long line of paper trails showing the purchase of real estate from Tennessee all the way to West Virginia raises a suspicious eyebrow. How is it that he had the means to purchase so many properties in so many places, having just come to the country a common man of no special background? The abundance of funds and lack of relatives and documentation leads many family researchers to believe that he, himself, might have been the person who did the bushwhacking, killing those on board and making off with a large stash of silver and adopting the land of his origins as a surname to mask his identity here in the new land, becoming Jean Schmidt Bastogne (aka John Smith Baisden). He changed his story several times over the years, used both names: John Smith and John Smith Baisden, and never offered proof of his birth to anyone who asked- merely saying his only proof was written in a Bible kept by his father. When questioned about why he did not use the last name "Baisden" on documents, he said because it was merely a name given to him by his uncle, again offering no proof. Because honest men have nothing to hide, it certainly raises an eyebrow that he was anything but forthcoming about his life and background.
Logan C H June 12 1836
"Sir,
... There is another fact which may not be amiss to advert to. There is an application of "John Smith" of the county for a pension.
This same old man about 1832 or 1833 came into court and subscribed his declaration in the name of John Smith Baisden--by which name he always has went in our records etc. The papers were sent back for some cause, since which he has subscribed a declaration signing his name John Smith leaving out Baisden. I have enquired into this mystery and learn from him & others that Baisden was an adopted name in consequence of his having an uncle or step father of that name. as to the truth of this I cannot say. he seems very minute in his detail...
Very Respectfully Yours ob. Ser
Ed Robertson"
"Virginia Logan County to wit.
On the 30th day of January 1836, Personally appeared before the undersigned justices of the law for the county aforesaid. John Smith a resident of said county. Aged seventy seven years who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision ___ by the act of Congress___June 7th, 1832… That he volunteered into the service of the Army of the United States in the month of February 1777 at a place called White Point, five miles below the city of Philadelphia on the Delaware River, in the state of Pennsylvania and there received commission as Lieutenant under the command of Captain Stewart, Colonel George Butler of Boston and major William Bell. That shortly afterwards we marched from thence to Coney Island and remained there for the span of two months and there had an engagement with a body of Hessians and that in the latter end of the year 1777 or in the month of January 1778 he was comprised of volunteers and the he received a commission as such at Egg Harbor, That his lieutenant’s name was William Nugent and that of his ensign, Asa King and that tho commandant of his regiment still remained the same to wit, George Butler of Boston…This declarant further states that nothing of importance transpired until the Battle of Stoney Point which was on the 15th of July, 1779, at which time and place he received …"
"a wound from a splinter of a ____ log cause by the firing of the artillery of the enemy of which he was disabled for the span of three months and unable to continue the command of said company, having served, as Captain upwards of nineteen months, which the ___ months disability makes one year and ten months. He then received a discharge from Major Bell as before set out and started to pay his friends a visit in the south and that on his way thither, as Fredericksburg, Virginia in the month of October 1779 he enlisted into the service of the United States as aforesaid for and during the war in the Continental Services and was commissioned as Lieutenant in the company commanders by Captain Marks in the 5th Virginia Regiment commanders by Colonel, Lylburn Lewis, under whom he marched from thence to Charlottesville Barracks, at which place he remained a month or upwards and were then marched down James River to another Barracks, a few miles above Richmond at which place he remained some time and was placed under the command of Colonel Campbell of the 7th Virginia Regiment as that he company to which he belonged was commanded by Capt. Boyer light infantry that he was then marched southward and crossed the Roanoke River at Boyer Ferry, and met a Regiment, and remained a few days, and then received the appointment of ____, this took place in the month of March 1781 that the name of his major at this time, was William Price. This declarant further states that he marched from this place further south and crossed a small stream called Enoer and took a small party of Tories and of whom was called John Lane and then marched and fought in the..."
"Battle of the Eutaw Springs, in the month of September 1781, that after said battle he was marched back to the Malvern Hillls, Virginia, some miles below Richmond on James River where he remained some six or seven weeks under the command of General Nelson and were marched from thence to Fredericksburg and still acted as adjutant until the autumn of 1782 that his principle employment at Fredericksburg was to receive the arms of the disbanded troops, stack them away and that finally he received his discharged signed by Captain Boyer late in the fall of 1782 or perhaps in the winter of 1783. Which was destroyed by fire in the city of Richmond together with his commissions… He hereby relinquished every claim whatever to a pension on an annuity except the ___ and he declares his name is not on the Pension Roll of any agency or any state. Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
John Smith
And in conformity with the regulations of the War Office complete the following interrogations to the applicant…
Where and in what year were you born?
Answer: In the city of Philadelphia in the year 1758 on the 18th of November
Have you any record of your age & if so where is it?
Answer: I have it in my family bible & which was taken from a record of my father.
Where were you living when called into service, where have you lived since the Revolutionary War and where do you now live?
Answer: When called into service I resided at Philadelphia..."
"I have since lived in the city of Richmond and from there removed to Floyd County Ky. Where I lived several years and am now a resident of the county of Logan and the state of Virginia.
How were you called into service? Were you drafted? Did you volunteer or were you substituted and if a substitute, for whom?
Answer: I volunteered in the continental service of Pennsylvania in the month of February 1777 & so served until the battle of Stoney Point. I then received a wound and in the month of October 1779 I enlisted into the service again at Fredericksburg, Virginia for and during the war and served to the end there of…
State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops where yo served such continental or such military regiment as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your services…
Answer: I served under Col. George Butler, Maj. Bell, Col. Lylburn Lewis of the 5th Virginia Regiment. Major John Cole of same Regiment, Col. Campbell of the 7th Virginia. Regiment, Major William Price of same. General Washington, Green, Nelson, Morgan and Lafayette and with General Wayne at Stoney Point and many others and the several circumstances are before set out in the declaration…
Did you ever receive a commission & if so what has become of it and by whom were they signed?
Answer: I received 3 commissions during the war. First I received a commission as Lieutenant in the Continental Service of Pennsylvania. 2nd I received a like commission as Captains in said service. 3rd I was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the 5th Virginia Regiment Continental Service all of which were burnt with my establishment, all of whom were however burnt in my store house in the city of Richmond Virginia shortly after the revolution.
State the names of persons in your present neighborhood who can testify to your character and veracity and their belief of your services as a soldier of the revolution.
Answer: Every person in the county acquainted with me."
John B. Clark, Sheriff of the County, Henry Farley, James Slater, James Starr & Phyruss McGinnis Esq. And the Revd. Richard Brooks
We, Richard Brooks a clergyman residing in the County of Logan and Henry Farley a citizen of said county, Do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with John Smith, who subscribed the above declaration & sworn to the truth of the same that we believe he is of the age stated from his affidavit that he is respected & esteemed as a man of veracity in the neighborhood and it has always been believed that he served as an officer in the army of out Revolution.Sworn to & subscribed to the day & date above written
He was ultimately granted a Veteran's pension but whether or not he actually served or truly saw a day of battle is still in many ways questionable.
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| Revolutionary War Pension |
So Why Are We Not Convinced He's American?
So many signs point to this man having been such a shady fellow. Nobody knew where he came from or how he got there. When asked about proving his birth, he said the only record was in his father's Bible but could not produce the Bible. He never offered up his father's name nor where he lived with that Bible. When questioned about his real last name and why he didn't use the last name Baisden, he said because it was not his surname but a name given to him by his uncle or stepfather. Being that there were no known Baisdens in the area documented, this could not have been true. He was the first of that name ever written in Appalachian history.
When Jean was asked why he had never applied for veterans pension in the past, considering it had been many years since he had served, his answer was that he just did not want to and that he had let the opportunities go in the past but now he wanted to apply. When asked about documentation showing he had served twice, in two different territories, Jean stated that he could not show proof because he lost his papers, along with his medals in a fire. When asked to provide other proof, he produced many people who wrote the court on his behalf saying the court should accept the man at his word and that they believed him to be telling the truth about serving simply because he said he had and never had a reason to lie. Finally someone was found who said they served with him, and gave details so similar to the ones Jean gave in his written interrogation that it makes one wonder if that person was actually the one who served and was using his own knowledge and memories in an attempt to help his friend get money for some reason.
John Smith had many children, yet it was supposedly a niece and nephew who kept working on getting the rejection reversed. One document states that the niece and nephew are his only known surviving heirs. Where did they came from? Who were their parents? And, how could it be true that his sibling's children were all he had left when his own children were very alive and well, wreaking havoc across three states? His children and himself are the only persons in the entire territory by that name at that time, therefore it could not have been handed down from another man, and certainly not someone from Pennsylvania. The state of Pennsylvania itself has no known documentation recording the birth of "John Smith Baisden" nor "John Smith" around the time this man was said to have been born. There is, however, documentation showing a "Jean Bastien" being born in France and documents showing "Jean Bastien" coming in New York in 1836 from France as a passenger. Considering the fact that one of Baisden boys listed "Canadian" as his ethnicity on a non-population census in West Virginia, it makes the story of him coming to America from France seem more likely. Considering there were shipwrecks around that time sailing from France to Canada and that there are no documents showing a life he lived in Pennsylvania throughout his childhood, only appearing from nowhere as an adult, it is very likely he very well was the pirate who came with no name. At this point, we are all still digging for answers and combing through more documents. All we can do is speculate.
Regardless what the true story is behind this patriarch of ours, one thing is for certain: The Baisden Gang of West Virginia weren't raised on the example of living an open and honest life.
John Smith had many children, yet it was supposedly a niece and nephew who kept working on getting the rejection reversed. One document states that the niece and nephew are his only known surviving heirs. Where did they came from? Who were their parents? And, how could it be true that his sibling's children were all he had left when his own children were very alive and well, wreaking havoc across three states? His children and himself are the only persons in the entire territory by that name at that time, therefore it could not have been handed down from another man, and certainly not someone from Pennsylvania. The state of Pennsylvania itself has no known documentation recording the birth of "John Smith Baisden" nor "John Smith" around the time this man was said to have been born. There is, however, documentation showing a "Jean Bastien" being born in France and documents showing "Jean Bastien" coming in New York in 1836 from France as a passenger. Considering the fact that one of Baisden boys listed "Canadian" as his ethnicity on a non-population census in West Virginia, it makes the story of him coming to America from France seem more likely. Considering there were shipwrecks around that time sailing from France to Canada and that there are no documents showing a life he lived in Pennsylvania throughout his childhood, only appearing from nowhere as an adult, it is very likely he very well was the pirate who came with no name. At this point, we are all still digging for answers and combing through more documents. All we can do is speculate.
Regardless what the true story is behind this patriarch of ours, one thing is for certain: The Baisden Gang of West Virginia weren't raised on the example of living an open and honest life.
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