Record #:

38818

Author(s):

Abstract:

Laurence Simmons Baker, a native of Gates County, NC, graduated last in his class at West Point, and served as a Captain in the United States Mounted Rifles in the western frontier. Baker resigned his commission at the start of the Civil War and became a Colonel in the 1st NC Cavalry. After several battles, he was promoted in 1864 to Brigadier General. Baker then lost his right arm in a battle and after a year became Commander of the Second Military District overseeing the defense of railroads and vital supply lines. He went back into battle at the end of the war. After the war, Baker became a farmer, an insurance agent and in 1878 became a station agent in Suffolk, VA.

Source:

Carolina Trees & Branches (NoCar F 262 A33 C37), Vol. 22 Issue No. 1, January 2013, p21-22

Subject(s):

Gates County--People