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 W.
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.
James R. Baker
Jr.