The photo above is how the grave
marker looked after Mark Black finished resetting
it
and then placed an American flag
beside it.
The Lone Forgotten
Soldier
By: Mark Black
On this
Memeorial Day I thought it would be fitting to write about a lone
forgotten soldier buried in Northwestern Pendleton County.
He is remembered by a few local people in the area, but
most have no idea about him and his story.
In a field right next to Jagg Road and just below Unity
Baptist church lies the remains of a Union soldier of the Civil
War. His name was Private William J. Baker. A lone Civil
War military marker tells the spot of his burial over 140 years
ago. He is not located in a cemetery, but buried all alone in
a field.
William was born in 1831 in Grant County, Kentucky, the
son of Andrew Baker. He was a Private in Company D, 4th
Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, Union Army, during the Civil War and
fought through Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia. He was
severly wounded during the assault on Missionary Ridge, Tennesse on
November 25, 1863, which was part of the Battle of
Chattanooga. Sometime afterwards, he was sent home to
recuperate from his wounds at the home of his sister, Louisa
McMillan wife of Robert McMillian, Jr.
Either during the last months of the war or right after
it was over, William contracted smallpox while living with his
sister and brother-in-law. He died there and was buried in a
field on his sister's farm because people back then were aftraid of
spreading smallpox. He was never married and had o
children.
Recently his military gravestone was reset from where
it had fallen over and a flag placed at his grave for Memorial
Day. I wanted to try to tell his story so others would know
about him. The saddest thing to see is a forgotten soldier's
grave. I suppose theree are many of them in our county.
If you know of any, please take the time to repair a stone, place a
flag, or just make a note of where the grave is for anyone that may
be interested.
I found out about William J. Baker's grave from my
friend and cousin, Mr. Lewis Bowen. The grave is located on
his farm. If it had not been for his information, I believe
the grave would have been completely forgotten and lost to
history.
HOW TO CONTACKT US:
The
Falmouth Outlook
Shoppers
Outlook
P.O.
Box 111
Falmouth,
KY 41040
Email:
[email protected]
Telephone: (859) 654-3332 FAX: (859)
654-4365
More about William J. Baker and his father and sister
who housed and nursed him through his tragic
infirmities