Transcriptions on the cards of the compiled service records of Confederate Soilders show the following :
- Joined Co D ("the Southern Guard"; Capt. Hazael J. Williams) of the 5th Virginia Infantry on 17 April 1861 for a 12 month enlistment as a private.
[the card says his age is 14 - this has got to be a transcription error]
- Muster rolls of 1861 and up to 28 February 1862 show him present.
- The muster roll dated 31 October 1862 for the period of 30 April 1862 thru 31 October 1862 says "Absent without leave since Apr 17, 62. Now in (over)" ....
[back side of card] .... "Cavalry Service".
[ April 17th would have been the fulfillment date of his initial enlistement ]
- The last card in his file is a muster roll dated 31 December 1862 says "Deserted and dropped from the roll".
Family lore has always indicated that he was in a cavalry unit but we don't know which regiment and there are several John Bakers on the rolls of various cavalry regiments. So far, my attempts to identify which regiment have been inconclusive. Sometime during his service he acquired a Federal issue, 3rd model Colt Dragoon revolver which was passed down through the family until recently when we donated it to the Museum at V.M.I.
The roster in the back of Lee Wallace's book on the 5th Virginia Infantry shows the last entry for John Baker as "Died of disease in 1863 according to a postwar roster". I've never seen this roster but, it must be referring to someone else because my gr gr grandfather, John Baker, lived until 1927; his grave is in Paulding county, Ohio.
DCD