William Preston Baker (1834 - 1917)

Born 29 May 1834 in Perry, Kentucky, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Martha (Stacy) Baker — married 20 May 1857 in Tazewell, Tazewell, Virginia, USA

Descendants

Died 15 Jul 1917 at age 83 in Buchanan, Virginia, United States

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Biography

From the biography of the Roster of the 39th KY Infantry ^[1] There is a legend associated with Bill Baker: During the war, he crossed paths with Henry Horne, a relative through marriage, who was then serving with the Confederacy. Both men happened to be goin in opposite directions and met on top of a ridge. Rather than shoot at one another, they chose to tie up their horsed and lean their guns against a tree. They sat down to talk, and when they were done they both continued on their separate ways, just as they did before and as they would continue to do after the war.

Bill was a younger brother of Andy Baker and the older brother of Thomas, James and Freeling, all veterans of the 39th Kentucky. He died in 1917 and is buried in the cemetery atop State Line Ridge between Virginia and West Virginia. Bill never deserted the Union, as far as his service records indicate. If that is true, then Bill was with the regiment for every one of its major battles, including Cynthiana and the Saltville Expedition.

Another story shares that Bill's father was murdered, and that is why the sons all voluntarily joined the war for the Union. It says that - Elijah was a very giving man. He helped any one that needed it. On a day in 1862 a group of seven Confederate renegades showed up at his door. They were tired and hungry. Elijah took them into his home and fed them. When they had their bellies full they asked for more supplies to take back to the other soldiers. Elijah took them to the barn to gather what he could spare. The soldiers followed him there. When Elijah did not come back to the house his sons went to look for him. They found him hung from the rafters of the barn by his own suspenders. The soldiers had robbed him and hung him. The sons went out after the soldiers. And family rumor is they killed and buried them in the mountains. All the sons ended up fighting for the Union during the war in retaliation for their fathers murder at the hands of the confederates....and that's seven confederate soldiers that will never be found. ^[2]

William P Baker was born in 1834.

William died on the 15th of July 1917 in Virginia. He was laid to rest in the Cooper Cemetery.^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ http://www.oocities.org/rmbaker66/alpharoster.html
2. ↑ https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/111223185/person/152121631249/media/e5e7119a-2b9b-4624-887d-0779d582fe28?_phsrc=oVC15160&usePUBJs=true
3. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 28 September 2018), memorial page for William P Baker (29 May 1834–15 Jul 1917), Find A Grave: Memorial #42978830, citing Cooper Cemetery, Buchanan County, Virginia, USA ; Maintained by Phil Holden (contributor 46547165) .

Notes & Links

• buried at cooper cemetery,mcd.co.wv.

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42978830/william-p-baker