"Two Wives Waiting in Anguish – June 5, 1862" Both Husbands Lost In War

Eleven days after the Battle of Winchester, Carrie S. Alton of Salem, Massachusetts, wrote this anguished letter seeking news of her husband, Private Samuel J. Alton of Company B, 2nd Massachusetts Infantry, who had been reported wounded.
She also asked for word on George Staples of Company C, listed as missing.
Unbeknownst to both women, George Staples had already been killed in action on May 25, 1862 — the same day her husband was wounded and captured.
Samuel would survive Winchester, only to die of wounds received at Gettysburg thirteen months later.
 
In a single sheet of paper, this letter captures the raw fear, hope, and heartbreak of thousands of Civil War families waiting in agonizing silence for news that often never came — or came too late.
 
"Salem June 5th 1862
Sir,
I take the liberty to write
to you to ask you if you can give me any
information concerning my Husband Samuel
J. Alton who was wounded in the battle
at Winchester as I have not heard any thing
only what I have seen in the papers that he was
wounded Please give me all the information that
you can about him he was a private in Company
B. Captain Williams 2nd Mass Reg.
Also if you can give me any information
about Mr George Staples who is reported as
missing who was in Company C. of the same Reg
and you will relieve the troubled minds of
Mrs Carrie S. Alton and Mrs Rebecca Staples."
 
When Carrie Alton and Rebecca Staples wrote this letter on June 5, 1862 (just 11 days after the Battle of Winchester), they were still hoping for the best.
 
•  George Staples had already been killed on May 25, 1862. The letter notes he was “reported as missing,” but official records confirm he died in that battle. The women would likely have received confirmation of his death in the weeks or months following this letter.
•  Samuel Alton had been wounded and taken prisoner but survived the 1862 battle, was paroled, and returned to duty—only to be mortally wounded a year later at Gettysburg.
 
This letter captures the heartbreaking uncertainty faced by countless families during the Civil War, as news traveled slowly and casualty reports were often incomplete or delayed. The 2nd Massachusetts Infantry was a well-known regiment that saw heavy fighting in the Eastern Theater, including Winchester, Antietam, and Gettysburg.