IDENTIFIED SOLDIER'S LETTER ON PATRIOTIC LETTER SHEET — GEORGE W. BAKER TO HIS WIFE, NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, MARCH 1864

IDENTIFIED SOLDIER'S LETTER ON PATRIOTIC LETTER SHEET — GEORGE W. BAKER TO HIS WIFE, NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, MARCH 1864

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Item Code: 2022-2116

Autograph letter signed, three pages on a single folded lettersheet of small notepaper, each page approximately 5 x 3 1/8 in. (opened approximately 5 x 6 1/4 in.), the fourth page blank. Page one is printed at the upper left with a blue vignette of a female allegorical figure of Liberty or Columbia, standing on a rocky outcrop with arm raised and holding a staff — patriotic stationery of the type issued in quantity to the armies from 1861 onward. Datelined "Nashville Tenn / Camp Barrard march" with the year added at the upper right, and signed at the conclusion "From your Husband / George W Baker / To his wife / L E Baker."

A soldier's letter of unusual candor about the small miseries of camp life. Baker acknowledges his wife's letter of March 15th, reporting himself well except for a bad boil that kept him awake at night and broke that morning, and notes that he has been unable to drill on horseback on account of the boils — establishing him as a member of a mounted command. Writing again the following day, he records that he does not feel quite as well, guesses it is nothing serious, and has come down with "the back dore trot," the first he has had since leaving home.

The remainder turns homeward. Rain fell overnight, the peach trees are in blossom, and there will be lots of peaches down here. He presses his wife for particulars on Steve Tompson's land purchase — whether the ground bought lay across the road from his own place or from her father's — as he had wanted that place there by mine, and had asked his father to look into it. He has had but one letter from his father and two from her. "Lish Keely" was in camp the day before, well, but had not heard from home in a good while. The letter closes abruptly as the rain commences again.

TRANSCRIPTION

Rendered as written, with original spelling and want of punctuation retained.

[Page 1] "Nashville Tenn / Camp Barrard march [1864] / my Dearest wife I received your kind letter dated march 15th it found me wel except a bad boil it kep me awake at night and it broke this morning i have not ben able to dril on horse back on the acount of the boiles i hope this wil find you al wel we look for the boyes her every day / 25th I do not feel quite as wel to day but i gess it is nothing serioys i have got the back dore trot this morning it is"

[Page 2] "the first that i have had sence i left home but i ges it wont last long we had some rane last night the peach trees are all in blossum thare wil be lots of peeches down here you spoke in your letter about steve tompson bying some land acrost the road i want you when you write again write whar he bought his land whether he bought acrost the road from my place or your fathers i want to no becose i wanted to get that place thare by mine i told father to see about it when he went"

[Page 3] "out thare and i want him to write to me about it i have not had but won letter from him yet and two from you lish keelly was here in camp yesterday he was wel he says he has not had a letter from home in a good while it has camenced ranning again so i wil have to quit a writing write often no more at present From your Husband / George W Baker / To his wife / L E Baker"

 

Baker names no regiment. His inability to drill mounted places him in a cavalry or mounted command, and Nashville in the spring of 1864 served as a principal rendezvous, remount and refitting point for the mounted arm of the Department of the Cumberland, with regiments and detachments in camp there awaiting horses and equipment before taking the field. His remark that "we look for the boyes her every day" suggests he was in camp ahead of the balance of his company. The name of the camp as written admits of more than one reading; it is given here as it appears on the sheet.

CONDITION:    Complete and entirely legible, the ink strong and dark. Original horizontal and vertical mailing folds with light wear along the creases and no separations of consequence. Scattered ink spatters and small brown spots, principally on the blank leaf, with light overall toning and a few faint stains. The printed vignette remains crisp and well inked. Housed in an archival sleeve. Very good.    [ss][ph:L]

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