352 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 



As I mentioned, I have written lengthy letters to Messrs. Clarke, 

 Reede, Hardesty, McFarland, Lockhart, Gaudet, Taylor, McKenzie, 

 Dunlop, Campbell, Sinclair, McTavish, etc. I bespoke of Mr. Camp- 

 bell his kind attentions to you, if you stopped at his post. 



I told you I wrote Donald Gunn about the egg trip round Lake 

 Winnipeg, sending him a special fifty dollars in draft on New York. 

 If anything prevented him from going, I told him to pay the money 

 to Gov. McTavish for your account. I asked Gov. M. to send you 

 all the allowances and extras you wanted, while in the country. 



John Woodworth left us a few days ago and is doubtless now in 

 Chicago. He has been of infinite help to me. We have in return 

 given him the best kind of a collection for the Chicago Academy. 



I enclose a letter from Lucy, which she expects you will get in 

 about a week! Miss Carrie Henry, on finding that her package of 

 cake and candy had not left on the day I expected to send it, regretted 

 it very much, as she was afraid it would get quite stale before you 

 got it! I told her I thought probably it would! 



Goodbye again and take care of yourself. Try hard for eggs of 

 golden eagle, wax wing, pine grosbeak, evening grosbeak, and all sich. 



Yours ever, 

 S. F. BAIRD. 



Why don't we hear anything from Selkirk Fort, it must be a 

 great locality. 



Three days after this letter was written the country 

 awoke to Civil War. 



From Spencer F. Baird to William M. Baird, Reading, Pa. 



WASHINGTON, D. C., April 28, 1861. 

 DEAR WILL: 



I know you will be anxious to hear how we have stood all the 

 racket of the last week or two. For a time matters looked very 

 squally, especially Saturday and Sunday of a week ago. The Balti- 

 more disturbances, the closing of the Railroads against troops, pro- 

 visions, and mails, no coming or going of passengers all looked 

 bluish rather. We have, however, got used to things; and having 



