Jan. 12, 1862

Jan. 12, 1862: Two men write home to their wives, in heartfelt anxiety for their welfare and for being separated from them and their children. They are remarkable in their similarities, although one is a newly-escaped slave, and the other an officer in the Confederate Army.

1–A runaway slave named John Boston made his way to the camps of the Army of the Potomac in northern Virginia and in this sense it is ironic that he fled south to get free, since he was held in Maryland. On this date he wrote this letter to his wife, still in captivity in Maryland:

Upton Hill [Va.] January the 12 1862
My Dear Wife it is with grate joy I take this time to let you know Whare I am i am now in Safety in the 14th Regiment of Brooklyn this Day i can Adress you thank god as a free man I had a little truble in giting away But as the lord led the Children of Isrel to the land of Canon So he led me to a land Whare fredom Will rain in spite Of earth and hell Dear you must make your Self content i am free from al the Slavers Lash and as you have chose the Wise plan Of Serving the lord i hope you Will pray Much and i Will try by the help of god To Serv him With all my hart I am With a very nice man and have All that hart Can Wish But My Dear I Cant express my grate desire that i Have to See you i trust the time Will Come When We Shal meet again And if We dont met on earth We Will Meet in heven Whare Jesas ranes Dear Elizabeth tell Mrs Own[ees] That i trust that She Will Continue Her kindness to you and that god Will Bless her on earth and Save her In grate eternity My Acomplements To Mrs Owens and her Children may They Prosper through life I never Shall forgit her kindness to me Dear Wife i must Close rest yourself Contented i am free i Want you to rite To me Soon as you Can Without Delay Direct your letter to the 14th Reigment New york State malitia Uptons Hill Virginea In Care of Mr Cranford Comary Write my Dear Soon As you C Your Affectionate Husban Kiss Daniel For me                           John Boston
Give my love to Father and Mother

2–Maj. Elisha Franklin Paxton, of the 27^th Virginia Inf. Reg., writes home to his wife about the difficulty of getting a furlough home:
. . . I should like to be at home, and know that you fondly desire my return. If I can’t get home, we must both be satisfied. I wish you to make up your mind to remain there, and take care of what we have as well as you can. You have, I doubt not, been as happy there for the last four or five months as you could have been elsewhere. With the work on the farm, your housekeeping, and the children, you will have too much to do to be lonesome. Plenty of work is a good antidote for loneliness; a very good means of drowning your sorrows. By this course you will be of infinite service to me, and will add much to your own comfort and happiness. If there is an honorable road to get home, I shall spare no effort to find it as speedily as possible. In the meantime, Love, devote yourself to the babies and the farm, and not to grieving about me or my troubles.