Letter of Francis C. Baker from Bloomfield IN., member of the 59th Indiana, Company E. Copied from the letters and 1862 diary of F.C. Baker found in the holdings of the Jackson County, Indiana Library. This regiment went on to Vicksburg and returned to Tennessee and Georgia with Sherman, 3rd Division, 15th Corps. F.C. Baker mustered out in June 17,1865.
Convalescent Camp,
Huntsville, Ala.
Sunday Evening July 3
Friend Sallie:
It is with pleasure that I drop you a line this evening.Our regiment left here on the 22nd of last month and marched toward Bridgeport, Alabama. Ido not know where they will stop but think probably they will go down in the region of Atlanta. A good many of our regiment were sent to this camp. But all but nine of us have gone on to some other point. Do not know weather they have arrived at the regiment or not. I am the only one from our company that is here. I am messing with two of company C's boys, one from Greene County and one from Sullivan County. The one from Sullivan County is James C. Mahan. A brother to Wesley Hales wife. They are both good fellows and we get along smothly and pleasantly. I am unable to say how long we will remain here, perhaps not but a few days,but we may be here a good while. The citizens wanted to get our Brigade to stay here. It seemed as tho they placed a good deal of confidence in us,and notwithstanding they are the meanest sech in the world or most of them seems so at least. I see a good many faps flying around here now. Some of them are Northern men for all I know. However I think they are Southern Rebels. I can see a girl praying around once and a while but a person can see that they belonged to the upper tens or to the aristocracy as you may please to call it. The Rebs here seem pretty saucy since our division has left here. So the boys say who have seen them and talked to them. However these are some of the worst ones I guess. I have had an invitation to dinner by a lady whom I got acquainted with last winter. She seems to be a fine woman and is very friendly to soldiers. Still she says she has a brother in the Rebel Army. I think I shall go down one of these days and take dinner. I saw Levi a day or two before he left here. He was well. I will see him again when I get to the Regiment again. John R. was left back with Lt. Riley who was sick. He got better and went on to the Regiment yesterday. John was well. As the 4th is near at hand I suppose you are thinking something of who I will be done tomorrow. If you do not have a celebration at Linton I imagine you will go to Worthington or some where there will be something to do. I hope you will have a fine time of it and still it is not like it used to be when all of the boys were home. However guess there are some discharged soldiers there now who have been in service and served out there time. I would love to be there tomorrow with you. As my sheet is full I will close Good Wishes to All.
I remain your sincere Friend.
F.C. Baker
To Sallie E. Pierce
Please to accept my best wishes for your self and write soon and often. Direct to the Regt. as before as likely by the time and that answer would come through I may be at the Regt. I think there are some letters there now for me.
Convalescent Camp,
Huntsville, Ala.
Sunday Evening July 3
Friend Sallie:
It is with pleasure that I drop you a line this evening.Our regiment left here on the 22nd of last month and marched toward Bridgeport, Alabama. Ido not know where they will stop but think probably they will go down in the region of Atlanta. A good many of our regiment were sent to this camp. But all but nine of us have gone on to some other point. Do not know weather they have arrived at the regiment or not. I am the only one from our company that is here. I am messing with two of company C's boys, one from Greene County and one from Sullivan County. The one from Sullivan County is James C. Mahan. A brother to Wesley Hales wife. They are both good fellows and we get along smothly and pleasantly. I am unable to say how long we will remain here, perhaps not but a few days,but we may be here a good while. The citizens wanted to get our Brigade to stay here. It seemed as tho they placed a good deal of confidence in us,and notwithstanding they are the meanest sech in the world or most of them seems so at least. I see a good many faps flying around here now. Some of them are Northern men for all I know. However I think they are Southern Rebels. I can see a girl praying around once and a while but a person can see that they belonged to the upper tens or to the aristocracy as you may please to call it. The Rebs here seem pretty saucy since our division has left here. So the boys say who have seen them and talked to them. However these are some of the worst ones I guess. I have had an invitation to dinner by a lady whom I got acquainted with last winter. She seems to be a fine woman and is very friendly to soldiers. Still she says she has a brother in the Rebel Army. I think I shall go down one of these days and take dinner. I saw Levi a day or two before he left here. He was well. I will see him again when I get to the Regiment again. John R. was left back with Lt. Riley who was sick. He got better and went on to the Regiment yesterday. John was well. As the 4th is near at hand I suppose you are thinking something of who I will be done tomorrow. If you do not have a celebration at Linton I imagine you will go to Worthington or some where there will be something to do. I hope you will have a fine time of it and still it is not like it used to be when all of the boys were home. However guess there are some discharged soldiers there now who have been in service and served out there time. I would love to be there tomorrow with you. As my sheet is full I will close Good Wishes to All.
I remain your sincere Friend.
F.C. Baker
To Sallie E. Pierce
Please to accept my best wishes for your self and write soon and often. Direct to the Regt. as before as likely by the time and that answer would come through I may be at the Regt. I think there are some letters there now for me.