Letter from Samuel Joseph, Syracuse, [New York], to Mary Anne Estlin, 1865 June 26

Samuel Joseph May writes to Mary Anne Estlin in regards to her letter regarding condolences for his wife's death. He writes about his sorrow for his wife's death. He also talks about receiving financial support from his church. He discusses his various children and family members and their current state of affairs. He writes that besides his parochial duties, he is President of the Board of Education, which "in a city growing so rapidly as Syracuse is, imposes on me not a little labor. We have over 500 children under publick instruction, and new families are being added to our population every week. The education of these costs is nearly $50,000 annually: and the disbursement of that amount of money and the supervision of the schools occupies many of my hours." He is also secretary for the Soldiers' Monument Commitee. The county decided to erect a monument "casting not less than $100,000 to the memory of the hundreds of soldiers of this country, whose lives have been sacrificed in the war." He writes about his efforts in educating the poor people who have been "belittled by Slavery." He writes that the freedmen are enfranchised but the majority of them are ignorant, which he is doing his part to educate them so they may be put "on the same level politically with the white men." He writes that men who fought for the South, such as John C. Calhoun, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and other leaders will not be raised "among the colored people of the Southern states." He writes of the separation between Garrison and Phillips, and the dissolution of the American Anti-Slavery Society, which he regrets not being present for. He says there is more work to be done but perhaps it would be better done under other names and larger constituencies. He mentions the Freedmen's Protection Relief and the Education Societies as prime examples of anti-slavery work that continues. He asks that she forward this letter to Mary Carpenter and Mr. Chapman and asks her to give his regards to other abolitionists that they both know. He mentions a tragic story of the death of a wife, Emma, to Captain Philip Johnson of the U.S. Navy after giving birth to her son seven days later. The son, Philip Wansey Johnson, was christened by Samuel Joseph May's son.

Courtesy of Boston Public Library

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1865

Boston Public Library

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