History of the Seventy-Fourth Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry ; a three years' organization, Part 6

Author: Peddycord, Will F
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Warsaw, Ind. : Printed by the Smith Printery
Number of Pages: 174


USA > Indiana > History of the Seventy-Fourth Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry ; a three years' organization > Part 6


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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Transferred to 22d Regiment June 9, 1865; sub- stitute. Transferred to 22d Regiment June 9, 1865. Transferred to 22d Regiment June 9, 1865. Died at Chattanooga, Tenn., Aug. 3, 1864.


82


HISTORY OF THE 74TH


COMPANY "K"


Company K was recuited at Warsaw and upon organization the following were chosen as their officers: Captain, THOMAS MORGAN First Lieut., JOSEPH KIPLINGER Second Lieut., GEORGE MOON


The company was mustered into the services of the United States at Indianapolis, August 26th, 1862 and in their term of service sustained the following losses


Killed at Mumfordsville


Reuben Wolf


Thomas Reidinger


Killed at Jonesboro David M. Davis Killed at Chattanooga Jesse Heron Died from Wounds John A. Porter Metcalf B. Blain


Died from Disease


Thomas M. Hayhurst


John D. Banks


Wm. Huffman


Wm. S. Lay


Edward Osborn


David D. Price


Wm. Graham


Edward Wilson


Henderson Bodkin


Benj. F. Clark


Marshall McGrew


John Farris


Andrew Yetto


Newton Hoak


Morris Metcalf


Amos Main


Joseph O. McCallem


RESIDENCE


REMARKS


Captains-


Thomas Morgan


Warsaw


George Moon


Warsaw


Promoted Major. Dixon, Ill. Mustered out with regiment. City 1893.


Died at Kansas


First Lieutenants-


Joseph Kiplinger


Warsaw


George Moon


Warsaw


James H. Stephenson


Leesburg


Second Lieutenants-


George Moon


Warsaw


Resigned Feb. 26, 1863. Deceased. Promoted Captain. Deceased. Mustered out with regiment. Died.


Promoted First Lieutenant. Deceased.


83


REGIMENT INDIANA VOL. INF.


NAME


Hiram A. Lutes


John M. Jennings Albert Morgan


Sevastopol Warsaw


Resigned Nov. 13, 1863. Warnego, Kans. Mustered out as First Sergeant with regiment. Present address 429 S. 19th St., Maywood, Illinois


ENLISTED MEN IN COMPANY "K"


First Sergeant --- Jennings, John M.


Sergeant -- Stephenson, James H. Hayhurst, Thomas M. Moore, William H.


Rankin, Orlando


Corporals- Jennings, Benton L. Myers, William M.


Wyley, Edward T.


Hosman, John W.


Sevastapol


Lynn, Christian Robinson, Martin R.


Kistler, George W. Warren, Seth


Sevastopol


Promoted Second Lieutenant. Deceased.


Leesburg


Warsaw


Warsaw


Leesburg


Promoted First Lieutenant. Deceased. Died at Nashville March 25, 1863. Mustered out June 9, 1865, as Private. Deceased 1901. Mustered out June 9, 1865, as Private. Deceased.


Discharged Dec. 19, 1863. Deceased.


De- Mustered out June 9, 1865, as Sergeant. ceased.


Mustered out June 9, 1865, as Sergeant. Died Dec. 4, 1909, at Washington, Iowa. Transferred, V. R. C. June 28, 1864. 941 Beville Ave., Indianapolis, Ind, Mustered out June 9, 1865. Deceased.


Warsaw


Warsaw


Warsaw


Palestine


Mustered out June 9, 1865, as Com. Sergeant. Died March 14, 1909. Mustered out June 9, 1865. Warsaw, Ind. Discharged Dec. 21, 1863. Died Sept. 13, 1910, Athens, Ind.


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HISTORY OF THE 74TH


Warsaw


Leesburg


Palestine


Musicians- Kelly, Joseph


Davis, David M.


Wagoner- Long, Samuel W.


Privates-


Adams, Alexander G.


Ames, John L. Borton, Lyman Henry Baughman Bodkin, Henry


Bowen, James A.


Bodkin, Henderson


Barrick, Jesse M.


Banks, John D. Cattell, William H.


Warsaw


Warsaw


Leesburg


Warsaw


Palestine


Pleasantville, Iowa


Etna Green


Mustered out June 9, 1865, as Private. Present address Acme, Wash. Editor of Acme Pros- pector. Killed at Jonesboro Sept. 1, 1864.


Deserted Oct. 28, 1862.


Warsaw


Transferred to V. R. C. July -, 1864; discharged July 12, 1863. Pierceton, Ind.


Mustered out June 9, 1865. Bourbon, Ind.


Mustered out June 9, 1865. Died March 14, 1911.


Palestine


Warsaw


Mustered out June 9, 1865. Warsaw, Ind. Mustered out June 9, 1865. Died Sept. 21, 1912, at Warsaw, Ind. Deserted May 21, 1863.


Died at Lavergne, Tenn., March 9, 1863.


Mustered out June 9, 1865. Deceased.


Died at Nashville Sept. 11, 1863. Mustered out June 9, 1865. Present address Mentone, Indiana.


Mustered out June 9, 1865. Died Dec. 15, 1906.


Died at Indianapolis Dec. 31, 1862.


Mustered out June 9, 1865. Warsaw, Ind. Mustered out June 9, 1865, as Sergeant. Died Pleasantville, Iowa, Sept. 6, 1899. Deserted Oct. 28, 1862. Discharged Feb. 26, 1863. Deceased.


85


REGIMENT INDIANA VOL. INF.


Carter, Thomas Clark, Benjamin Dunnuck, Benjamin H. Erb, Abraham


Freeman, James W. Griffin, Jacob


Warsaw


Warsaw


Warsaw


Warsaw


Warsaw


Leesburg


Warsaw


Graham, John Graham, William Hoak, Newton Huffman, William Hanold, Philip H.


Hufman, Jacob Heron, Jesse Heron, Moses Hawk, William Hurd, Melvin A. Jeffries, Amor


James, Judkins Kirkendall, John


Kiefer, Henry Kyle, Jesse Long, William Lutes. Hiram A.


1


Lay, William S. Lemig, Lewis Lightner, Salathiel


Leibole, Ernest J. Lynn, Marion F. Miller, James P. Miller, William H.


Leesburg Leesburg Akron Etna Green


Etna Green


Etna Green Sevastopol Sevastopol


Leesburg


Leesburg


Sevastopol


Warsaw Leesburg


Leesburg Sevastopol Leesburg Warsaw .


Warsaw Warsaw Etna, Green


Warsaw Warsaw Warsaw Wheeling, Ia.


Discharged Sept. 28, 1863. Deceased Died at Gallatin, Tenn., Jan. 17, 1863. Died at Ringgold, Ga., June 10, 1864. Died at Nashville Jan. 21, 1863. Mustered out June 9, 1865. . Died April 15, 1907, at Eau Claire, Mich. Discharged March 27, 1863. Deceased. Killed on picket at Chattanooga Sept. 26, 1863.


Discharged June 1, 1864. Dead. Discharged Nov. 22 1862. Deceased. Mustered out June 9, 1865. Deceased. Transferred to V. R. C. Jan. 14, 1864. Died Sept. 17, 1911. Discharged Jan. 21, 1863. Deceased. Mustered out June 9, 1865.


Present address Milford, Ind.


Discharged April 26, 1865. Died Sept. 4, 1906. Transferred to V. R. C. Dec. 12, 1863. Deceased. Deserted Nov. 12, 1862. Deceased. Died at Chattanooga Oct, 12, 1863; wounds re- ceived at Chickamauga. Died at Nashville, Dec. 16, 1863.


Deserted Nov. 12, 1863.


Discharged April 20, 1863. Lost an arm at Mum- fordsville, Ky., Sept. 14, 1863. Citronelle, Ala. Discharged Nov. 3, 1862. Discharged Aug. 17, 1863. Deceased.


Mustered out June 9, 1865. Warsaw, Ind. Mustered out June 9, 1865. Report April -, 1908, that he died at Swan, Iowa.


86


HISTORY OF THE 74TH


Miner, John


Metcalf, Morris Marcum, William H. McDonald, William Morgan, Albert


Mackrill, John W. McGrew, Marshall


Nice, Archibald


Warsaw


Osborn, Edward


Price, David D.


Porter, John A.


Poor, David


Rarick, Benjamin Franklin


Reidinger, Thomas


Rankin, Edward Roberts, Alfred


Sheldon, Sylvester Stepleton, George Smith, Stephen L. Sutton, John Smith, James S. Starr, Samuel K. Shelby, John Farris, John


Warsaw


Warsaw


Warsaw


Warsaw


Warsaw


Discharged April 17, 1863. Died 1908. Mustered out June 9, 1865. Dead. Mustered out June 9, 1865, as First Sergeant. 429 South 19th Ave., Maywood, Ind. Mustered out June 9, 1865. Deceased. Died at Indianapolis July 24, 1863.


Mustered out June 9, 1865. Warsaw, Ind. Died at Nashville, April 15, 1863. Died at Nashville Jan. 15, 1864.


Died of wounds received at Jonesboro Sept. 1, 1864.


Warsaw


Mustered out June 9, 1865, as Corporal. Present address Etna Green, Ind.


Mustered out June 9, 1865, as Corporal. Grey- man, Okla.


Warsaw


Killed at Mumfordsville, Ky., Feb. 4, 1863.


Leesburg


Mustered out June 9, 1865. Leesburg, Ind.


Leesburg


Mustered out June 9, 1865. Died in 1911 at Sy- racuse, Ind.


Discharged Feb. 20. 1863. Deceased.


Mustered out June 9, 1865. Discharged July 23, 1863. Died Feb., 1904. Mustered out June 9, 1865. Deceased. Mustered out June 9, 1865. Warsaw, Ind.


Warsaw esburg Leesburg Warsaw


Mustered out June 9, 1865. Deceased. Mustered out June 9, 1865. Deceased. Died at Indianapolis Dec. 13, 1862.


Mustered out June 9, 1865, as Corporal. War- saw, Ind. Died at Galveston, Ind., Nov. 19, 1862.


Palestine


Warsaw


Warsaw


Sevastopol


Warsaw


Warsaw


Warsaw


Liberty Mills Leesburg


REGIMENT INDIANA VOL. INF.


87


Teal, Melanchton Waren, Asariah Wolf, Reuben


Watts, George


Wilson, Edward


Wileman, Charles G. Wright, Ira Wyland, Silas Watkins, John Yetts, Andrew


Warsaw


Pierceton


Leesburg


Leesburg


Leesburg


Leesburg


Pierceton


Recruits-


Arthurhults, Leander


Blain, Metcalf B. Brandenburg, Frederick


Leesburg


=


Blain, Allen T. Harper, William R. Johnson, Levi Lucas, Benjamin W.


Mulligan, James


Main, Amos


Blountsville


Miller, Robert McCallem, Joseph O. Oswalt. John M.


-


Etna Green


Deceased. Mustered out June 9, 1865. Manchester, Tenn. Killed at Mumfordsville, Ky., Sept. 14, 1862. Mustered out June 9, 1865. Died at Gallatin, Tenn., Dec. 24, 1862. Discharged April 25, 1863. Died 1909. Mustered out June 9, 1865. Windfall, Ind. Mustered out June 9, 1865. Fulton, Kans. Mustered out June 9, 1865. Deceased. Died at Indianapolis Nov. 25, 1862.


Transferred to 22d Regiment June 9, 1865; sub- · stitute. Died wounds received Jonesboro Sept. 1, 1864. Transferred to 22d Regiment June 8, 1865; sub- stitute. Transferred tto 22d Regiment June 9, 1865. De- ceased. Transferred to 22d Regiment June 9, 1865. De- ceased. Transferred to 22d Regiment June 9, 1865; sub- stitute. Transferred to 22d Regiment June 9, 1865. Sub- stitute.


Transferred to 22d Regiment June 9, 1865. Sub- stitute. Died at Willetts Point, N. Y., April 6, 1865; sub- · stitute. Mustered out June 9, 1865; substitute. Died at Jonesboro March 6, 1865. Transferred to 22d Regiment June 9, 1865. Etna Green ,Ind.


88


HISTORY OF THE 74TH


Stackhouse, William Stewart, Frank


Etna Green Etna Green


Transferred to 22d Regiment June 9, 1865. Etna Green, Ind. Transferred to 22d Regiment June 9, 1865. Etna Green, Ind.


REGIMENT INDIANA VOL. INF.


89


90


HISTORY OF THE 74TH


MEMOIRS OF COLONEL MYRON BAKER


INDEX


1. Shepardsville, Ky Oct. 3, 1862


2 Gallatin, Tenn.


Nov. 7, 1862


3. Castillian Springs, Tenn.


4. Lavergne, Tenn


March 19, 1863


5. Triune, Tenn.


June 18, 1863


6. A Poem-Triune June 18, 1863


7. Ringgold, Ga ..


March 12, 1864


8. Marietta, Ga. (Capt. Abbott) Aug. 6, 1864


9. Marietta, Ga. (A. Heath, Col. 100th Ind. Regiment)


My Dear Sister:


I just rec'd your letter under date of Sept. 29 ulto. I was very glad to hear from you. We were at this place one week ago last Monday. We were then in Granger's Brigade and were compelled to leave here and go back to Louisville. We are now transferred to Gen. S. S. Fry's Brigade being the 2nd Brigade in the 1st Division of the Army of the Ohio. There are 9 Divisions in the Army composed of 27 Brigades besides 15,000 cavalry and 150 pieces of artillery. Gen. Thomas com- mands our army in the field. On Oct. 1st a forward movement was again made from Louisville. On that day which was ex- cessively hot our Division marched out from Louisville towards Shepardsville 12 miles and encamped in the woods and fields on McCauley's Creek. Here we remained until 1 p. m. of the 2nd inst. when we took up our line of march and proceeded to Shepardsville which we reached about 10 p. m. having been delayed 3 hours in the road for artillery and Brig. Gen. Stead- man's Brigade and the transportation of the Army to pass us on the road. We encamped here and got supper and retired about 12, midnight. We started from McCauley's Creek in a rain storm. It also rained last night. One week ago last Monday we evacuated this place with a force full 4000 strong. The rebels with cavalry not over 200 strong immediately took pos- session, raised a large drove of beeves and horses, drove out the Union People and burned down and completely destroyed the railroad bridge here, a costly and very fine structure. Such generalship as that must certainly send our government to --


91


REGIMENT INDIANA VOL. INF.


from which there can be no hope of resurrection. Shepardsville is the county seat of Bullitt county. This county has about 1200 -1500 voters. Many of the people are disloyal. The town is not so populous as Morenci by one half. although much finer built, having many very pretty brick residences within it. There is a brick court house here, a judge and bullet-headed attorney. The place is of no importance intrinsically but as a link in our line of communication with our forces south and our present army when she shall spread her victory-hung banners over Tennessee and the South, the town and the railroad bridge are of vast importance. Tomorrow we leave here to advance upon Bardstown, where Gen. Braxton Bragg's whole force is reported to be engaged in fortifying. If he does not "skedaddle," which he assuredly will do, there will be a battle. I do not expect a pitched fight this side of Nashville. We have an army now un- der the command of Gen. Thomas which Gen. Bragg cannot stand before with any prospect but that of utter discomfiture and ruin.


I am very well at present. I have had the ague but have not been down sick since last Monday. I think I shall have good health most of the time. So far I have been sick but little. We can't get much to eat here but salt "sow belly" and "union shingles"-a species of baked flour and water harder than the rock of ages. I have a negro servant to cook and take care of my horse. I have not had any salt raised bread such as mama is in the habit of making, but once since I left home nor have I ate at a table or in a house at all.


I hope to hear from you again soon. I shall promptly answer all letters addressed to me.


Give my love to father, mother, brothers and sisters. Tell them each and every one of them to write to me frequently else they need not xpect to hear from me.


Address your next letter to me as follows :


MYRON BAKER, Major 74 Reg. Ind. Vols. In Gen. Fry's Brigade, Louisville, Kentucky.


And Forward


I am your affectionate brother, MYRON.


Camp near Sinth Tunnel, 5 miles from Gallatin, Tennessee, Nov. 7, 1862.


Dear Sister :


I rec'd a day or two ago a letter from you written several


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HISTORY OF THE 74TH


weeks before. Be assured I was glad to hear from you and to know that I am not yet wholly forgotten at home. For about 5 weeks I rec'd no letters from you at home nor from John's folks in Goshen. We have been on the march ever since the 1st day of October last when we marched from Louisville. We were eye-witnesses of the fearful fight of October 8th at Chaplain Hills and should have had a hand in the affair if Buell had not played the traitor, and refused to permit three fourths of our splendid army to have a part in that disastrous affair which his reserved forces not less than 60,000 strong could have turned into a Waterloo defeat to the rebel confederacy. All day the cannon thundered and the musketry rang along our line and all day Buell lay in his tent a mile and a half from the line of battle and part of the day we were not 4 rods from the line of battle and all day our unsupported columns were thinned by the determined fire of the enemy and yet Buell says he did not know a battle was going on! Shame on the villain! Every officer and private knew it. Sick men crawled on their hands and feet to see it. And yet this arch-villain says he knew nothing of it. You could plainly tell by the firing when we drove them and when they drove us. Sometimes the musketry would ring in the spaces along our line away to the front. Then we were pressing them back. In a few minutes perhaps in the same space of the line it would come away back from the rear. Then was when they were driving us back. And yet in other parts of the, field the roar of battle hung all day over the same hardly contested ground. Neither side gained nor lost their position. Yet Buell says he did not know a fight was raging. If he did not know it he ought to be hung for a fool. If he did know it he ought to be shot as a traitor, , We had Bragg in such a shape every man of his army might have been wounded or captured as well as to escape. That night just at the close of the fight we went up on a hill near by and overlooking the battle field and encamped. As the shades of night closed in the firing gradually ceased and the bursting of shell which lit up the distant sky died away and all was darkness once more. Next day it was an awful sight to see-that bloody battle ground. There lay the dead and dying, rider and horse, friend and foe side by side, all over the blood drenched earth. For two days some of our wounded lay uncared for on the spot where they fell. And a host of the rebel dead were not buried for a week afterwards, in fact not until the air became so putrid they had to be buried to prevent contagions.


Since then what weary miles we have marched, and over


93


REGIMENT INDIANA VOL. INF.


the most horrible roads much of the way. The soldiers' lot is a hard lot indeed, especially the poor privates.


My health has been part of the time good-part of the time very bad. I am quite well now and fit for duty. Until lately for two or three weeks I was hardly able to get around and yet I had to march with my regiment or go to some infectious hospital. I kept on the march of course and in fact did so some days when I could not sit on my horse, being drawn in an ambulance. If I was to get into a hospital I should at once make my will and order my coffin-I have a cold in my lungs now. Other- wise I am perfectly well. I understand we shall stay here until the tunnels which were blown up by Morgan are repaired. That will take some weeks, I should judge from the magnitude of the destruction. We may go on south sooner. We shall probably have an active campaign this winter and a hard one on the soldiers. I don't know when I shall be able to get home to see you all but I presume not sooner than a year or two. Tell mother there is nothing she can do for me. We are so far apart nothing she could send would ever reach me. Give my love to all- father, mother, brothers and sisters.


Hoping to meet them all again around homes dear domes- tic heart, I wish you an affectionate adieu.


MYRON


Headquarters 74th Reg. Vols. Castillian Springs, 8 miles from Gallatin, Tenn.


Dear Sisters Jennie and Sarah :


Some days ago I rec'd a letter from Sarah and one today from Jennie and thought "as I hadn't much to write nor much time to write it in that I would answer both at once. I am thankful that you all at home are so thoughtful of ine. I wish father would send me a dollar's worth of postage stamps-I am almost out and can't get any here. The sutlers make so little profit on them that they won't keep them. Tell mother I don't expect to occupy that room she has for me before the end of the war although I should love to do so this bleak stormy night. We are having a dreadful thunder storm tonight. We shall go to Nashville this week some time-don't know when as yet. My health is excellent. I am getting fat. My fighting weight is 145 lbs., whereas it used to be but 125-130.


I am getting full faced and look somewhat like a hard drinker though I assure you I am strictly temperate.


My horse is sick. I think I shall lose him. He is a beauti-


94


HISTORY OF THE 74TH


ful animal and I paid $135 for him in Louisville. I shall be sorry, very sorry, to lose him as it will put me to great trouble and inconvenience to get another as I have not the money now nor are there any horses here that can be got except at the most extravagant and unheard of prices.


You can say to mother if she has anything to send me that if it is sent to Nashville by Adams Express I will get it-if it be sent soon, as we shall tarry here but a few days, but can't say how long.


I am a member of a general court martial in session now at Gallatin. We have a full docket of cases and have been at the business about two weeks. It is very tedious and irksome work. The people here are all rebels. There are not 10 exceptions in the whole county. The vote cast here at the last election when Tennessee went out of the Union was 2700 and 27 com- panies from this county are in the rebel service. They are all d-nd rebels and out to be cleaned out but our generals are careful to guard and protect their property while they are tear- ing down the very government under which they were born and acquired their property. Old Abe thinks his proclamation will conquer them but he is mistaken. Nigger property they don't care but little about. But it is such property as we have in the north that he ought to strip them of instead of having guards set over and safeguards it by his commanding officers. Write often both of you."> "Always and at any time it matters not where I may be. Direct simply, "Myron Baker, Major 74th Ind. Vols. via Louisville, Ky." and your letters will reach me.


Give my love to father, mother, brothers and sisters and pinch "My Fannie" and set it to my account.


Yours affectionately and in haste,


MYRON.


It is midnight and raining terribly and I must retire as I have ten miles to travel in the morning before breakfast.


Myron.


Headquarters 74th Reg. Vols., Camp Lavergne, Tenn., March 19, 1863.


Dear Sister :


Whereas it has been a "dog's age" more or less, since I have heard from you and whereas I am desirous of the pleasure attendant on the reception and perusal of one of your racy epistles ! Therefore I have unanimously resolved to indite what follows, hoping it may invoke or provoke, according to


95


REGIMENT INDIANA VOL. INF.


the inspiration of your heart an immediate and profuse re- sponse. I have got so I hate to write at all, to write anything. What used to be mere pastime has grown upon me to be a great labor. But thank God I don't have many correspondents and they are not very exacting. A letter once in two months gratified, satisfies or disgusts, I don't know exactly the feeling, the most of them. But while I weary of writing and dread to sit pen in hand for five minutes I love to read better than I ever did-anything, everything. In letters I hate compactness. Let them be racy, off hand, free and easy in style. The more garrulous and laughter-begetting the better to my taste and fancy. Perhaps it is a bad taste, perhaps a morbid fancy. But let that pass.


On the 16th inst. I had the pleasure of hearing T. Buchanan Read make a speech. He spoke to the soldiers of this Brigade. The Abolitionists are turning Heaven and Earth to Africanize the sentiment of the army. There is much mistake about it. The army is opposed alike to the "Copperhead" and the aboli- tionists. They are brave, true men generally, opposed to both and all factions, firmly bent if possible. on restoring to our unhappy country one undivided harmonious government. Mr. Read is not much of a speaker. His speech was written and I should presume if printed would read well, but the man's style is always that of the Poet and never of the orator. He recited us two of his poems, the "Oath" and "The Bolts of the Thun- der of War." These Poems are very beautiful in themselves, and their recitation by the Poet himself made them magnificent. He is certainly a man of learning and poetical genius but no speaker. He is a small man, blue eyes, light brown hair, not fleshy, appears like a gentleman, and has the stoop of the scholar in his shoulders. I am well at present. I do not. how- ever weigh near as much as I did before coming to Lavergne. I am now reduced to 146 lbs. which is pretty small. I am sorry for it as I have a desire to attain 170 lbs. Where is Lucion ? Why does he never write to me? It seems singular that he should always maintain such "a masterly silence" to- wards me. Tell him to write. Also permit me to invite Sarah, father and mother to write to me. The mother should at least write to her son who is in the army. Have you any beaux yet? Please tell me all about it. What has become of little Simeon of Canandaigua ? I suppose he must be quite a "bantum" by this time. Please tell me all the news-whose died and been born and eloped and got married and all the sense and non- sense you can think up and weave together in plain English.


Give my love to father. mother, brothers and sisters. sis-


96


HISTORY OF THE 74TH


ters-in-law, nieces and nephews, if there be any of 'em yet, as well as future brothers-in-law and prospective sisters-in-law, and all the rest of 'em.


Write on receipt of this.


Your affectionate brother,


MYRON BAKER.


Direct, Myron Baker, Maj. 74th Ind. Vols., Lavergne, Tenn. (via. Louisville)


Headquarters 74th Reg. Ind. Vols., Triune, Tenn., June 18, 1863.


My Sister :


I thought I would drop you a line as you might wish to hear from me. I am quite well at present. Col. Chapman has gone home and we have no major consequently I am now quite alone and in full command. I drill the Regiment three times a day, once in school of the company, once in skirmish drill and once in Battalion drill. Every third day we have Brigade drill, also. There is no news to write. We are hard at work pre- paring ourselves for any emergency. You wanted some verses from me which I herewith send. They are foolish, written in haste, amid a thousand cares, and the work of an hour. But they are pockickry," according to Capt. William Brown, and will remind you of Longfellow or some other poetical fellow, all except the words and ideas. Please write soon and at length. Give my love to the family and Kate and Fannie.


Your affectionate brother,


MYRON.


A POEM


4


If life be counted by the few Fast fleeting moments one hath known Since light, his dawning eyes first knew Or first he learned to weep and groan, Then youth should be upon my brown And in my spirit youth should be- But oh! I feel the gathering snow Of age fall thick and fast on me!


97


REGIMENT INDIANA VOL. INF.


Though scarce one-third my course be run If three score years and ten be given My pilgrimage but just begun- And yet my heart of hearts is riven, And thought or care or woe have worn Deep furrows in my soul and brow And I, in manhood's radiant morn, Decline all earthward even now.




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