Daniel Haston > Isaac Haston/Hastin > John Wesley Hastin > Dave J. Hastin
March 1894 – Dave J. Haston – Gloriously Converted
No doubt, Dave had lived for years with a deep sense of guilt about some of his experiences during the Civil War. As he heard that Jesus could forgive him of ALL his sins, he must have realized that he needed Jesus to be his Savior — to cover his sins with the blood of Christ, to change his life, and to give him eternal life. He was “converted March, 1894 and joined the M.E. Church, South, October 28, 1894” and “lived in the church a consistent life until God called him to the church triumphant.
January 1, 1895 – 30+ Years Later, Dave Hastin Goes “Home” to Visit His Kin Folks
Perhaps Dave’s conversion emboldened him to go to “home,” where he grew up to reunite with his uncle, cousins, and others he knew as a child and young man.
David J. (Johnson) Hastin, son of John Wesley Hastin, returned to the place in Cedar County, Missouri, where he grew up. Because of his notoriety as a Confederate “bloody bushwhacker” during the Civil War, he had essentially been exiled from his homeland for approximately 30 years. He and Attorney William Carroll Hastin were first cousins, sons of John Wesley Hastin and Samuel Douthard Hastin; D.J. was not W.C.’s uncle. However, David’s uncle, Samuel Douthard Hastin, was still alive (until 1914). The newspapers were generally gracious in their remarks.
January 17, 1895 – Dave’s Past Haunts Him
Even though the editor of the Dade County Advocate newspaper probably thought he was being kind to Dave, his article brought up some haunting reminders in Dave’s mind about things he had tried put behind–things that were now under the blood of Jesus and totally forgiven by his Lord and Savior.
March 14, 1895 – Dave’s Response to the Editor and the Editor’s Reply
Two months after the earlier Dade County story came out, a response from Dave Hastin was published in the Dade County Advocate.
Although Dave’s response was technically accurate, on a deeper level, it contained some untruths. The term “bush whacker” (bushwhacker) carried two different meanings. One, it was sometimes used synonymously with “guerrilla” (irregular) soldier, a person who fought independently of a “regular/official” military unit. Two, the original and more specific meaning referred to an ambusher who shot and killed unsuspecting enemies from a hidden location. Dave was probably denying that he was the second kind of combatant, which was probably the truth.
Thomas R. Livingston was a wealthy mine owner and entrepreneur, west of Carthage, MO. He held the title of Major and commanded a unit of notorious partisan rangers designated as the 1st Missouri Cavalry Battalion,* a group of 75 to 200 men sometimes called the “Cherokee Spikes.”**
Although the battalion was officially endorsed by the Confederate Congress under the Partisan Ranger Act, it fought much like a guerrilla unit. Some say it operated more like an independent band of outlaws.
*Livingston’s unit was not actually a battalion (300-1000 soldiers); it was more like a company (60-200).
**The name “Cherokee Spikes” came from the many Native American troops, Cherokee especially, who fought alongside Livingston’s white volunteers, and “Spikes” reflected their fierce reputation for unconventional warfare.
Captain Robert’s company was led by Lafayette (“Fate” / “Pete”) Roberts, who was, like Dave, from Linn Township in Cedar County and about Dave’s age. They were probably good buddies from their earlier years. After Major Livingston was killed on July 11, 1863, in a battle on the town square of Stockton, the county seat of Cedar County, his band split up. Dade Countian Kinch West led one group, and Cedar Countian Lafayette “Pete”/“Fate” Roberts led the other. David Hastin chose to “ride” with Roberts, not Kinch West. But one was about as bad as the other, and the bands of Kinch West and Lafayette Roberts were both involved in the Melville attack on June 14, 1864, in which Dave Hastin participated.
May 2, 1908 – Dave Death
1908 – Eulogy for David J. Haisten by Major General James H. Berry
Who would have thought that the life of a so-called “bloody bushwhacker” would be summarized in such an impressive obituary as that composed by James H. Berry, who had served as a U.S. Senator and Governor of Arkansas.
Burial in the Centerton Cemetery in Centerton, Benton County, Arkansas
Isaac’s grandson, David J. Haisten, died one month shy of age 66. Given his Civil War experiences, it is remarkable that he lived as long as he did. His obituary in the Western Methodist says, “He was a constant sufferer from [his Civil War] wound until the day of his death.”
David J. Haisten died in Christian faith. Those who knew him best loved him most.
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