Samuel Baker, son of John and
Mary, wrote a number of letters to Historian Lyman Draper during and just
after the Civil War. The letters are faded and smeared and most portions are not
legible.
By using a magnifying glass, and
by enlarging the pages on my computer, I managed to transcribe only the
following portions.
A friend, Richard W. Baker, also
transcribed them, and came up with nearly the same results.
James R. Baker, Jr.
page 1
not
legible
page 2
I'm not a
Baptist nor a Methodist nor a Catholic nor no other ----- of Jesus ------- to
just anyone it could be the sentiment? as I think that ---------
since my
infancy and believe that we are accountable for our actions to God and that ---?
is free, not that Christ died for every man as I believe ---
page 3
Legible in
center of page:
I was born in Westmoreland County Pennsylvania on the 18th of
May 1781 of poor parents and came to Kentucky 2nd of Jany 1790 and landed at
Limestone and settled in Fayette county and remained there for 7 years and then
moved to Campbell County in 1797 on the 5th of Nmt? and have remained here ever
since.
page 4
-------
Jefferson Davis deserves to be shot -----
(whole page seems to be nothing but
ranting about the Civil War)
page 5
He states that
he is in good health except that his hearing and eyesight are just aout gone.
The rest is ranting about the close of the war and being in the middle of
"Rebels and Rebel Sympathysers".
page 6
all legible
portions are about politics-states that he is a Jackson, Wayne
Democrat---
page 7
all legible
portions are about politics and the war
page 8
duplicate of
page 2
----------------------------------
Richard Baker's transcriptions of the same
letters:
Letters
of Samuel Baker of Campbell Co., KY to Lyman C.
Draper.
In
the first letter, written Nov 24th 1865, he speaks of his religion, he was a
Methodist, and of his anti slave and secession position. There is more in these
letters but they are difficult to read.
From
the second letter written Dec. 25, 1865:
"I
was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania on the 18th of May, 1781 of poor
parents and came to KY on the 4(?) day of Jany 1790 and landed at Limestone and
settled in Fayette County and remained there 7 years then moved to Campbell Co.
in 1797 on the 5th day of April and have remained there ever since
---"
"I
am now --- an old man nearly blind--"
"I
have a son now in the Senate of KY and has been there 4 years
---"
"---
he is a first rate Lawyer."
(probably referring to the same son but I'm not
sure.)
"I
thank God first Abraham Lincoln 2nd Genl. ? third for removing the sins of
Slavery from ---"
From
the third letter written Oct 2(?)th 1866:
"I
live in the midst of rebels and rebel sympathizers and have no love for any of
them."
I
am still Pension Agent yet(?) I am in my eighty sixth year."
He
thanks Draper for his letters and "hope that you will excuse my blunders that I
have made. I am a Washington, Jackson, Wayne Democrat and hate the so called
Democrats for I call them --"
He
also states in this letter that this would probably be his last
letter.
