The following letter was written by Joseph Jackson Baker (1841-1931) of Foster Falls, Wythe county, Virginia. He was the son of Joseph McClure Baker (1815-1876) and Jane Jackson (1817-1901). He later married Sarah Jane Carter (1848-1944). Joseph had a sister named Mary Jane Baker (1842-1921) who is mentioned in the opening line.

According to the muster rolls of the 54th Virginia, Baker enlisted on 9 April 1862 at Hensonville and was promoted from private to corporal on 1 October 1863. He was described at standing 5′ 10″ tall, with blue eyes and dark hair.

Baker was taken prisoner during the Battle of Marietta on 22 June 1864. He was confined at Camp Morton in Indianapolis for nearly a year when he took the oath of allegiance and was released in mid-June 1865.

See also: Joseph J. Baker Correspondence in the Special Collection of Virginia Tech.

See also—1863: Joseph Jackson Baker to Parents on Spared & Shared 19

See also—1864: Joseph Jackson Baker to Parents on Spared & Shared 13

T R A N S C R I P T I ON

Isle of Wight [county, Virginia]
March 9th [1863]

Dear Parents,

I received a letter from you of the 27th and one from Mary Jane by Craig Carter ¹ who came to the regiment the 7th. You spoke of that detailing business. You may do as you think best about it though I don’t like the idea of it much for reasons that I shall not mention here but if you think it best, I shall put up with it. Such details so not last and then I would be forced to return to the army again. I write these lines in a great hurrah [hurry] mostly to inform you to not write any more letters to this office for we are going to start to Petersburg on tomorrow and I do not know whether we shall go any farther or not. I shall therefore just say to you to postpone writing until you receive another letter from me which I shall write just as soon as we stop.

Craig Carter brought the news from home that you were all well and of Peter Bedsanles death which I heard from a letter from R. A. Culpee. James Alford, I understand, has come to his regiment. Our brigade is going to Petersburg. Another has come to take our place. I do not know under what general we shall go but reported that we shall go back under Colston.

The boys are well. [Thomas L.] Nixon and Canida are well and offering 100 apiece per month for a substitute. Canida is very tired of the war. I was truly sorry to hear of P. Bedsand’s death. Poor fellow. It looks like a man is safe no where upon this earth—and poor family of children he leaves.

Orders have come to us to start in ten minutes. You must write when you find where to write to. Your affectionate son, — J. J. Baker

Co. K, 54th Regt. Va. Volunteers

¹ James Craig Carter (1843-1910) served in Co. K (Roanoke Guards) of the 54th Virginia Volunteers. He enlisted at Hansonville, Virginia, on 26 April 1862. In the 1860 US Census he was enumerated at Wytheville, Wythe county, Virginia. His parents were Jackson Carter (1813-1847) and Emily A. Elliott (1819-1877).