The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-08-22
Death of an Author.

Rev. William Munford Baker, well-known
Presbyterian clergyman and an author of con-
siderable celebrity, died at his residence, No.
S27 Broadway, South Boston, Monday after
noon. Mr.. Baker was born in Washington,
d. c., in 1926, and was the youngest son of
Rev. Daniel Baker, d. D., noted divine and
author. Mr.. Baker was graduated at Prince
ton College. He studied theology for one
year in the seminary of the Presby terian de-
nomination in Princeton, N. j., and supple
mented this instruction by two years of study
under his father, after which he was ordained
as preacher Of the Presbyterian faith. From
1850 to 1866 he was settled as pastor in Texas,
first at Calves ton, and subsequently at Austin,
Texas. During this period he did not confine
his labors to the pulpit and the ordinary pas
toral duties of his parishes, but was busy with
his pengas well and laid the foundation of the
literary repute which he subsequently, attained
His first published work was q biography of
his father, under the title of "The Life and
Labors of the Rev. Daniel Baker, ID. d."
which appeared in 1858. 1t was during the
period of his settlement in Texas, also that
the War of the Rebellion was waged, and,
though in the very heart OF one OF the most
pronounced and venomous OF rebel States, Mr..
Baker maintained his devotion to the Union
tions OF duty he kept his church at Austin in
unbroken relations with the General Assembly
of the Presbyterian Church at the North to a
presbytery of which it has since given its
pane. 1t was during this period, also and
largely from his own experience during these
troublous times, that Mr.. Baker wrote the
work which first called attention to his power
as a descriptive and dramatic writer, viz
"Inside; Chronicle OF Secession" This was
first published as a serial in Harper's Weekly
and subsequently in book form Tin 1860 under
the nom de plume of G.. #. Harrington, For
some time its real authorship was unknown.
In 1865, when the war ended, Mr.. Baker ac-
cepted call to the pastorate of the Second
Presbyterian church at Zanesville, Ohio. to
which he ministered for several years, In 1873
he was pastor of a Presbyterian church at
Newburyport, Mass, and three or four wears
later he became pastor of the Fourth Presby-
terian church, South Boston, from which he
retireu some three or four years ago on account
OF failing health. During all these wears Mr..
Bakers pen had not been idle. He had given
his best energies to the work of the ministry,
to which he was ardently devoted, but he also
found time to prepare extensive and valuable
contributions to the various religious journals
and magazines of the country, and also several
stories which proved very successful. OF these
oak Mot" Sunday school book was pub
lished in 1868 by the Presbyterian Board of
Publication; "The Virginians in Texas" ap-
peared serially in Harpers Magazine; "The
New Timothy" in 1870, and "Mose Evans" a
serial IN the Atlantic Monthly, in 1873; "H:s
Majesty, Myself,' work of considerable
fame, devoted to an original form of discussion
OF religious belief, under the guise OF fiction,
appeared some years later Boston Journal.