10. O'clock A.M.                   

Camp near Harrison Landing V^a

August 2, /62.                        

           

Kind Sister & Brother—

                                                I have just come in off picket and on looking into my tent was much pleased to see a letter directed to me laid on my knapsack; on opening it I found it to be from "sweet Home". It is more than health to me, to hear that you get along so well. I suppose you too like to hear of my wellfare, so let me give you a little good news: My health is improving fast. Our camp is a pretty place. We get soft bread now, each soldier a loaf of 22 oz. per day. Take it all in all we enjoy ourselves full as well as we did at Washington. The weather is uncommonly warm. I got a letter from Josh; He is at Millcreek Hospital near Fortress Monroe. He has been paroled, and will likely go home as soon as able. He is able to walk around a little. Enoch's reg't is at the fortress, so Josh & Enoch will be apt to see each other. If I could get a pass I'd go to see him & Enoch, but I cant 

 

G. W. Perkins if Co H. wrote a letter to his Capt since he was paroled and he says he saw Jno Snyder of Co F. and that he is getting better. I also hear that he is at Annapolis having been among the number of paroled prisoners: if so, he will get home soon also. Of Reed & Michael I hear nothing of late but as all our prisoners are being exchanged or paroled it is likely that they too will get back north. Lizzie—you say you "are glad there is one who has confidence in M^cClellan". If you were here and talk as you do in your letter, you would find there was more than one who had "confidence in M^cClellan. You ask, "What was gained by the battle of Fair Oaks?" I'l tell you. Victory was gained. It was necessary to fight at Fair Oaks because we were attacked and had to repel the forces sent to cut us off as they thought to do. We whipped them and if the cowardly traitors of the North had sent us reinforcements there and then we would now have our camps in Richmond, but some how the people of the North have an idea that we have men enough here to take Richmond. They dont think of what we lost at Yorktown, at West Point, at Williamsburg or at Hanover Court House, besides what we lost by disease. You folks at home must be fools if you take M^cClellans Army to be as strong as when it landed at the fortress. M^cClellans Army never was as strong numerically as the secesh. Why at the battle of Malvern Hill our army fought against at least 10 to 1 and "did it up brown" but do you think us to be iron clad soldiers both in constitution and invulnerability? It seems as if you did. It is easy to sit at home or stand in a fence corner far from danger & talk of what might be done, but come & try once and if you dont find more to do than just "walk into Richmond" I'm badly fooled. I call the folks at home who are able to come nothing short of murderers: they know we need help but dont give us any. O patriotism! Have you left the North? How can we place confidence in drafted soldiers? They will run the first battle they are in. "There dear will that do" for one lecture? I know you are surrounded with a community who are secesh at heart and it is no wonder you are a little like them—secesh too!!

 

Jimie—If you read the letter I sent to Cy Thurman or if you put yourself to the trouble to read a letter which I sent to Hammon M^cDowell you will find out all about the loosing of that haversack. I lost it in the Fair Oaks fight. A secesh caught hold of it and I jerked from him and left it in his hand and turned to shoot him but being close I gave him the bayonette. He fell, but I did not stop to see whether he was killed or not for there was any quantity close on my heels so I left "double quick". I dont boast of bayonetting a man I hope never to do the like again but if I must I must, you know; anything to save a man's life. I would like to get home very well but if my health stays good I'l be needed here and it is a hard way to get home via Richmond you know. You must not think that I was in the fight with Jno Snyder. I was not able for duty then. I wish I had been though. I do not claim any part in that fight. I'd rather be called a coward than try to claim the honor of anything which does not belong to me. I was in the skirmish at Yorktown, the battles of Williamsburg & Fair Oaks and if able would have been in the last fight with Jno but I could not help being sick. I stood on the hill above the gun boats on the last day of the fight and saw them play into the secesh like fury but a fellow who is only able to lean on a staff could not make a very brisk "charge bayonettes"

 

            I have got all the letters which you say you wrote me, together with the stamps. They were long on the way. I hope you will get those $40.00 which I expressed to Mercer.

 

No more,                    

J. D. Baker

 

E.G. & J.R.W. Baker                                      

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