1 850 TO 1865 357 



pressure of work everywhere in the Department that it was entirely 

 impossible to detail such a Board now, and would be for a good while 

 to come. 



I confess the matter does not look very encouraging as it stands. 

 Whether the whole thing is only a mere whim of Col. Thomas or not 

 I don't know, but I suspect that the Sec. War really has the feeling 

 referred to toward Floyd. 



All well to-day and send much love. Cousin Abel called together 

 with two army officers from Geneseo, one of them Lt. Randall of the 

 Ordnance. Mary saw them. 



Yours affectionately, 



S. F. BAIRD. 



In May, 1862, Mrs. Churchill, who had been failing 

 in health for some months, was taken back to Carlisle. 

 In July Professor Baird and his family joined her, and 

 on September 6th she died. Later, with his daughter, 

 Baird visited New York, Brattleboro, Vermont, and 

 Boston, returning to Washington October 8th. General 

 Churchill followed his wife December yth. On the 2Oth 

 of December, Kennicott returned from his sojourn in the 

 Hudson Bay and Yukon regions. He spent the greater 

 part of the winter and spring following in work on his 

 collections at the Smithsonian. Called to Illinois by the 

 death of his father, he remained there for the rest of the 

 year, working on plans for a Museum in Chicago, where 

 he was cordially backed by a group of public-spirited 

 citizens. The plan finally resolved itself into a rejuvena- 

 tion of the Chicago Academy of Sciences with Kennicott 

 as Director of the Museum. Professors Baird and Henry 

 warmly approved the plan and offered not only the 

 portion of Kennicott's northern collection which was due 

 him, but a complete series of duplicates of every kind 

 which the Smithsonian was able to furnish. 



