Mower County transcript., 1891-05-20
worked at carpentering most OF the time.
He worked in Austin whittier he walked
: I'll

He worked in Austin whittier he walked
every day and back again. John Revord
had the same mode of conveyance as he
came in to his cobbler's bench. The first
winter, the snow was very deep and Mr..
Baird shaved him out pair OF skis with
which he to ok his trips to the woods and
to Austin. Mr.. Baird finally owned a
yoke of oxen and felt very happy as he
hltched them up to an old wagon with
board for seat and brought his wife and
babysto Austin for a visit or to church.
In the spring of 1861, he moved with his
family to Austin, occupying a little
house next to Mrs. DR.. Aliens, He
bought the half block where he has since
lived and that summer commenced q
house. He got it enclosed, when the
war broke out and he, the first one to
enlist from Austin, went to fight for his
country's flag. Mrs. Baird wen: to WIS
consin and spent the winter and had the
house finished the following year. When
he built, there was only one house in
Austin south of Carlos FentoD's. This
was Mr.. divers now occupied by Mr.
Clausen. Parker and Browns addition
was a gram field with a crooked rail
fence around it. Balcom's addition was
one year a cornfield and afterwards even
after the war the children gathered large
quantities of luscious wild strawberries
| there The old stage road to Otranto
went angling through the present
property of Mr.. Majors. MIR. Mcbride,
and NJ. Baird and on southwest.
In October, 1861, Mr.. Baird enlisted in
the 4th Mimi. Regular Vol. Infantry OF
which Gen. j. B. Sanborn of St. Paul
was the first colonel. He entered the
service as a private and was appointed
postmaster of the regiment. His first
promotion to sergeant was after the
battle of 1uka in which, although on
detached service, he picked up musket
and went into the fight. He was regu-
larly promoted until at the close of the
war he had command of company. He
participated in the siege and at the fall
of Corinth, was in Grants siege of
Vicksburg and at It's assault when in less
than an hour and half his company lost
one third of their men killed or wounded
Robert Tiff of Austin being the first to
fall. He was at Mission Ridge and in
Sherman's Atlanta campaign and IN the
famous march to the sea, during and
after which he had command Of com
pany. He fought at Columbia and at
IBentonville. N C.. where one of the
hardest battles Of the war occurred, and
at Raleigh where Gen. Joe johnson sur
rendered. He passed through fifteen en-
gagements, participating in every march
and every battle with his regiment to the
close of the war. In the charge of Jack
son, Miss, rebel bullet passed through
his coat. He was regular and prompt
correspondent and We find some of his
letters in the Austin papers of war time.
Friends of others in this company awaited
his letters home with great interest. OF
his army record we find the following
| endorsed on his final discharge papers
Lieut. Baird has proved himself brave
| aud efficient officer and has won the high
esteem of his comrades in arms. / take
pleasure in recommending him to all as a
gentleman worthy of the highest trust
James E. Edison, Col. Commanding Reg
iment."
| Mr.. Baird was mustered out August Z
1865. On his return to Austin he was ap
pointed postmaster but resigned in few
months. He was elected sheriff of Move,
county in the fall of 1872 and served two
years. He was appointed postal clerk il
the railway service in 1875 and held tha
position for sixteen years. He made ;
very efficient clerk and his percentages il
examinations we're usually very high
He resigned in March of the present yea
and on the first day of April became post
master at Austin. His long experienc
assures the efficient administration of tn
office. At one time he owned 160 acre
Just north of Mr.. Kirkland's in Red Rock
but he sold this and bought fine farm
of 240 acres two miles southeast O
Brownsville. This he still owns. II
has always been Republican in polite
and has had much Influence in the affair
of the party in this county.
Mr.. and Mrs. Baird have four children
Lyman D., one of the attorneys of Aus
tin; George Frederick, member of tn
Austin Furniture Co.: Edward c., en-
gagged in the banking business in Grace
Vile, Mimi, and Grace E., attending th
Austin High School. He has one brother
Lyman, l1ying in Chicago, and two sis
ters, Mrs. Emily Knight, of Fltchbure
Mass, and Miss A. NJ. Baird, of Ne,
Haven, Conn, who has been spendin
the past year in Austin.
old Saul's Catarrh Cure is not . ne1
remedy, it has been in the market fo
\ e