Camp Curtin. Oct 28^th 1861

           

Dear Mother—

                                    It is high time for me to write you a few lines I suppose you will think so here goes. I dont want you to be thinking too much about me for it will do me no good, but it will do you harm, take things as easy as you can, and dont fret yourself off the earth about anything, for I want to see you again if it is God's will, and that before long. I like sojerin first rate. I think the climate must be a little warmer here than it is at home for there has only been one frost since I came here but I hear it has snowed at home; the wind off the mountains blows pretty cold however sometimes. There is a report in camp that "Manassas Gap" was taken possession of yesterday evening by our forces under McClelland and the cannon in the camp are being planted to fire a round of 40 shots in token of joy, it may be a false report but it came to town by telegraph this morning 

 

I hear that Jimmy & Lizzie are doing things up brown and it pleases me to the 9s. You must write soon to me & let me know how much buckwheat there was and if the corn & potatoes turned off good. how much apple butter you made, where you pened the pigs, how the stakes are fixed. whether you sold any of the horses or not, and all the little items of importance. You should get your appropriation as there is a month of my time up the 23^rd of this month if you have not drawn it yet you must see to it soon. you can draw it the first Monday of every month so you should have drawn it the 7^th of this month if you did not do it then do it now: you have a right to it.

 

Let me know what prospect Lizzie has of a school. I wrote Johny Albin, Andy Houston, D^r Rose & Snyder Smith each a letter and none of them have ever answered me. We turned off our dirty cook & got a clean one. Every evening at 9 o'clock there is a cannon fired as a signal to go to bed & every morning at 6 o'clock it is fired as a signal to turn out for roll call and every one who dont obey is put in the guard-house where the lice are shaking hands / across with each other from rafter to rafter—thank providence I have not been in it yet

 

My boots hurt my feet very much but Capt Maxwell (alias Dutch) will get me a pair of shoes tomorrow. There is two or 3 sassafras trees in this camp which are the largest in the U.S. one of them is over 3 feet across the butt end. in order to keep the soldiers from hurting it there is a guard (or rather a sentinel) placed at it to watch them off

 

When I get a chance to go to Harrisburg I will get my picture in uniform & send it to you.

 

I'm marching with the brave Mother

Our country to maintain

And Providence can only tell

If we shall meet again

But sorrow not for Joe, Mother

Should he in battle die

We'll meet in heaven I hope

So Mother dear Good-bye

Mother.                      

J. D. Baker. /

 

I must give you a list of our library which we read every spare time we can get.

viz "Masons Self Knowledge". "New Zealanders".

"Religion in the soul". "Biography of Finley D.D."

"Narratives of Soldiers". "Knickerbocker for Nov 1860".

"New Testament in pamphlet form with notes".

"Dime" & "Shilling Song books" 2 Hymn books.

3 Bibles & 3 Testaments, a "Cythara" & "a Dutch book of charms."

19 in all

 

Capt Maxwell says our reg't will be the 57^th P.V.

 

No more

your son

 J. D. Baker

 

Mother                                                           

 

1861

1861

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