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Charles W. Bast – 96th Pennsylvania Infantry
Posted By Norman Gasbarro on July 31, 2018
Charles W. Bast died on 18 October 1886 and is buried at Seybert’s Cemetery, Williamstown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
The Lykens Register report of the death of Charles W. Bast, was reprinted in the Harrisburg Telegraph, 22 October 1886:
Mr. Charles W. Bast died on Monday at Williamstown. His death resulted from a wound in the army received in the war of the rebellion.
On 12 September 1861, Charles Bast, at the age of 21, enrolled in Pottsville in the 96th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company C, and was mustered into service as a Private on 26 September 1861. On 1 May 1863 he was promoted to Corporal and on 22 March 1864, he was promoted to Sergeant. On 21 October 1864 he completed his term of service, and rather than re-enlist as did many of his comrades in the 96th Pennsylvania, he took a discharge and returned home. There is no indication on the Pennsylvania Veterans’ Index Card, shown above from the Pennsylvania Archives, that Bast was wounded in the war.
Although he was a member of the 96th Pennsylvania Infantry, his name does not appear on the Pennsylvania Monument at Gettysburg. This may indicate that he may have been wounded in a prior battle and during the period 1 to 3 July 1863, was in a hospital recovering from his wounds.
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On 8 March 1879, Charles W. Bast applied for an invalid pension, which, according to the Pension Index Card from Fold3 (above) he received and collected until his death. Thereafter, his widow applied and she collected until her death.
According to the Pension Index Card from Ancestry.com, (above), the widow was Amanda Bast, and her application was made on 11 November 1886.
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The Press Herald (Pine Grove, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania), 18 June 1880, gave an indication that Charles W. Bast needed assistance in getting some back pension money:
Charles W. Bast, of Williamstown, has received through ‘Squire H. H. Hill, $550 back pension money.
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In 1880 Charles W. Bast was living in Williamstown and working as a blacksmith.
Amanda [Stahl] Bast was the wife of Charles W. Bast. She was born about December 1843 and died in 1929 in Williamstown. She is also buried at Seybert’s Cemetery.
Amanda was living in Williamstown in 1890 and was enumerated as a Civil War widow in the census.
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News clippings are from Newspapers.com.
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