Addison W. Hastie

Often remembered for riding a white horse at the front of Seattle's Memorial Day parades and as one of Seattle's “most prominent veterans,” attorney and judge Addison W. Hastie had a fascinating journey — from a 14-year-old musician on the front lines of the Civil War, to a judge in Deadwood, South Dakota, to one of Seattle's most respected figures.

Addison W. Hastie was born on May 27, 1847 to two Scottish immigrants in Schenectady, New York. His family soon moved to Illinois, where young Addison witnessed the famous Lincoln–Douglas Senatorial Debates in 1858, sparking his passion for politics and law. In May of 1861, at only 14 years old, Addison enlisted in the Union Army as a musician. It appears he was in multiple different regiments during his time in the Union Army, as he served for over three years, but is listed as a musician in the 132nd Illinois Infantry. After the war, Hastie enrolled at the newly founded Union College of Law, now known as Northwestern University, at some point between 1873 and 1875. In 1878, Hastie married Harriet De Long, and the newlywed couple moved out to the newly developing gold rush town of Deadwood, South Dakota. Addison and Harriet Hastie began their family in Deadwood, and Hastie became a prosecutor and judge. In 1890, the Hasties moved to Seattle, where the family quickly became one of the city's most prominent families. From 1895 until 1898, Addison Hastie was the Chief Prosecutor of King County, and from circa 1900 to about 1910, Hastie ran a number of campaigns for judicial positions on the King County Superior Court. Even after he retired from the legal profession, Hastie remained a constant figure in Seattle's political and social scenes. He was a Freemason, a leading member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and regularly spoke out about his legal and political views. Hastie was proud to lead the GAR Memorial Day parades for many years on a white horse, which he did until he became too ill to do so in 1924. He died on December 29, 1924 at age 67 at the Washington Veterans Home.

Civil War Service

Hearing that Addison Hastie served in the Union Army at only 14 years old might come as a surprise, but he was one of an estimated 200,000-plus child soldiers in the Union Army. Though the exact circumstances of Hastie's enlistment are unknown, it was not uncommon for worried or rebellious children to run away to join the war effort, often lying about their ages. Minors could not enlist in the Union Army without parental permission, but this did little to stop many young boys from enlisting. The Confederacy allowed boys as young as 16 to enlist, creating a sizeable number of child soldiers on both sides of the war.

Typically, young boys were assigned to be musicians, often buglers and drummer boys. Young Addison Hastie was one such musician, and remained one until his service ended when he was 17. Though they were not high-ranking soldiers, musicians were critical assets to a Union regiment. They helped relay commands to their fellow soldiers during both drills and battles, and also served as medics, helping treat wounds and bury their dead comrades. After a hard battle, musicians also helped boost the spirits of their downtrodden comrades, serving an important and uniting purpose.

Though not much is known about the details of Hastie's service, there is one article from The Seattle Post-Intelligencer's “Veteran's Corner” recounting his days in the field hospital and his appreciation for the kindness of female nurses.

“Comrade A.W. Hastie assistant adjutant general of the GAR was in a reminiscent mood the other day, and his mind reverted to civil war days, especially days racked with fever in field hospitals, far from home, friends and comforts. Judge Hastie paid a deserved tribute to the noble women of the sanitary commission. The work they did in alleviating suffering and saving lives has never been fully realized. The brutal hospital stewards and attendants treated sick and wounded men in a horrible manner only too frequently. Comrade Hastie never had a spoon of his own to take his medicine until the women arrived, but had to use the spoon that the whole ward used, though it was frequently cleaned by rubbing it on the attendant's trousers. As soon as Comrade Hastie got his spoon — and quite a treasure it was to the sick boy on the hospital cot — the attendant took it away from him by force. Taking candy from a child is mild compared to this war. War is hell, but it isn't all on the firing line by a long shot.” — Seattle Post-Intelligencer, “Veteran's Corner,” October 29, 1911.

After the War

Sometime after his departure from military service, Addison Hastie enrolled in law school at the Union College of Law in Chicago, Illinois. Not much is known about his time there, other than one incident where he was a bystander in an attempted murder-suicide. On April 18, 1875, Addison Hastie was escorting a woman named Ellen Davis home from a party, when a man started shooting at Davis and Hastie. Davis was shot in the back of the head, and Hastie quickly shot back at the shooter. Luckily, Davis survived the incident, but the perpetrator, 22-year-old Charles Wood, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Allegedly, Wood had been threatening to murder Davis if she didn't accept his several marriage proposals. This incident led to Hastie making the news in surrounding states.

In 1878, Addison Hastie married 21-year-old Harriet Harding De Long from Galesburg, Illinois. The young couple then moved to the town of Deadwood, South Dakota. Just four years before Addison and Harriet Hastie arrived, gold had been discovered in Deadwood, spurring a gold rush that drew settlers to the area. The small gold rush town was rough, known for being a hotspot for criminals and prostitution — a perfect place to settle for an up-and-coming lawyer. Hastie established a law firm and had a home built for his family that still stands to this day. He served as a prosecutor and later a judge. Addison and Harriet Hastie had their first two sons, Walter and Warren, in 1881 and 1882 respectively. They had their first daughter, Irma, in 1884, who died of whooping cough just shy of her second birthday. The Hasties then had twins in 1888, Claire and Lucille, both of whom died of cholera at just seven months old.

The Hasties in Seattle

In 1891, the Hastie family left Deadwood and made their way out to Seattle, where they resided in Capitol Hill on Harvard Avenue. Addison Hastie continued the law profession in Seattle, and had an office in the now-demolished Haller Block at 2nd and Columbia in Pioneer Square. In 1895, he was elected King County Prosecutor, a position he held until 1898. Addison and Harriet had their youngest daughter, Gladys, in 1896. From around 1910, Addison Hastie ran as a Republican candidate for the King County Superior Court. It appears he was elected into this position, but it is unclear how long he remained in it. He was an outspoken authority on political matters in Seattle, and advocated for teachers getting pay raises, legal divorce reform, and expressed support for a number of political candidates.

Hastie's fierce patriotism was a major influence in much of his political advocacy, and came to a boiling point in 1912 after a “Red Flag” parade in Seattle resulted in a clash between Socialists, University of Washington students, and Spanish-American War veterans. Though what exactly transpired is unclear, an American flag was trampled and spat on by Socialist marchers, with the veterans responding by seizing red flags, often seen as a symbol of anarchy, from the Socialists. This event occurred amid a national fear of growing numbers of anarchist incidents following the assassination of President William McKinley. A meeting of Seattle's patriotic organizations (GAR, WRC, Daughters and Sons of the American Revolution) was called to condemn and call for a ban of red flags in the state of Washington. The meeting exploded after G.E. Tilton of the Sons of the American Revolution defended the red flag, prompting a GAR member who is buried in this cemetery, Charles J. Clark, to march up and attempt to punch Tilton in the face. Addison Hastie was also infuriated by Tilton's defense, and spoke up. The Seattle Daily Times described the scene as such:

“Judge A.W. Hastie, former prosecuting attorney of King County, added fuel to the flames by asserting that the red flag was a symbol of anarchy. ‘The dictionary defines it as such and the unwritten law should be applied to those who carry it,’ he thundered, amid deafening cheers.” — Seattle Daily Times, “Indignant Patriots Score Tilton When He Defends Red Rag,” May 10, 1912.

These kinds of patriotic causes were of utmost importance to GAR veterans. Considering their experiences with the Confederacy, movements that seemed anti-American in any way sounded the alarm bells for these men. Thus, Hastie was one of many GAR members who supported an intense style of patriotism, with a particular emphasis on encouraging reverence for the American flag and Memorial Day.

Addison Hastie was a member of several organizations in Seattle, including the Grand Army of the Republic, the Illinois Club, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and St. John's Lodge of Freemasons. As part of the Illinois Club, Hastie proposed a plan for an Illinois Pavilion at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition. If approved, this would have included a Lincoln Law Library that would become part of the University of Washington campus, but the proposal was unsuccessful.

As part of the GAR, Hastie was a notable leader. He held a number of different leadership positions throughout the years, most notably being elected Commander of Stevens Post in 1898, but he was best known for being the leader of Seattle's Memorial Day parades for many years. He was remembered as riding tall on a white horse at the head of the parade every year until he fell ill the year before his death. He was heavily involved in organizing these parades, gathering locals to participate in the procession. Hastie also read the Gettysburg Address to Memorial Day attendees at GAR Cemetery on several occasions. Memorial Day was deeply important to him, and he did his best to stay involved even as he fell ill with age. As his illness progressed, Hastie moved into Retsil Soldiers Home, where he died in 1924 at 77 years old.

In many ways, Addison Hastie's life was similar to that of many of the Civil War's “old soldiers”: fighting in the war as a young boy, trying to make it on the frontier, settling in a developing western city, and becoming a loyal Republican and member of the Grand Army of the Republic. Through looking at his life, we can get a glimpse of the values and experiences that characterized the post-war lives of many Civil War veterans.