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Baker, John (1769-1823)
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Aler's History of Martinsburg and Berkeley County, West Virginia
by F. Vernon Aler, 1888
Printed for the Author by 
The Mail Publishing Company, Hagerstown, MD.

CHAPTER VIII.
Historical Pen Sketches of the Early Residents of Berkeley County
by the late Hon. Chas. James Faulkner.

Pages 188-190, HON. JOHN BAKER 

Was born in Berkeley County, Virginia, about the year 1769. He was
entered as a student of Liberty Hall Academy, Rockbridge County,
Va., between the years 1783 and 1789, and among his fellow students
of that period, were Dr. Alexander, of Princeton, and General Boyd
of this county. He took up his residence in Shepherdstown, on the
Potomac River, then the most flourishing town in the lower valley,
and soon rose to the distinction of an able and accomplished
lawyer.

He was nominated by the Federal party, and elected to the 12th
Congress from the District of Berkeley, Jefferson and Hampshire,
embracing the term from 1811 to 1813.

The Annals of Congress give no report of any speech made by him,
yet the Martinsburg Gazette, of January the 24th, 1812, publishes
some very forcible and eloquent remarks made by him in Committee of
the Whole, on the 26th of December, 1811, in favor of pensioning
the surviving officers and soldiers of the Revolutionary War. The
omission of this speech from the "Annals" is to be explained by the
fact, that it was delivered in the Committee of the Whole, and no
report, it seems, was usually made at that time of speeches made in
the Committee.

On the 4th of February, 1812, he presented a petition from
Jefferson County, asking Congress to make certain improvements near
Georgetown, that would give to the farmers of the upper county a
choice of markets for their flour between Alexandria and
Georgetown. It was stated that 300,000 barrels of flour were then
annually conveyed to market by the river, in boats, and the trade
was increasing.

Mr. Baker was an ardent and uncompromising Federalist, and voted
steadily with his party against a declaration of war against Great
Britain, and all other measures in aid of that belligerent
movement. He was one of the 34 members of Congress who published,
after the rising of Congress, an able and elaborate defence of
their opposition to the war. The Federalists of' Berkeley were much
pleased with his votes and on the 12th of August 1812, gave him a
public dinner to express their approval to his course in Congress.
Among the toasts of that occasion was the following:

"The war rashly and unnecessarily begun. May it be speedily
terminated by an honorable peace."

The sentiment announced in honor of Mr. Baker was "A disciple of
Washington and true to his principles."

In the summer of 1813 Shepherdstown was visited by a violent
bilious epidemic, scarcely less fatal than the yellow fever. Many
of her most prominent citizens fell under the terrible visitation.
Among the number was Hon. John Baker, who died on the 18th of
August, 1823, leaving an estimable widow and an interesting family
of children. One of his daughters was married to T. W. Gilmer,
Governor of Virginia, and Secretary of the Navy.

Mr. Baker was universally respected for his high attainments as a
lawyer — for his many virtues as a private citizen — for his
courage, firmness and consistency as a politician.

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