Toronto, May 7, 1854.
Mr. W. Still:—
Dear Sir — I take this opportunity of
writing you these few lines and hope when they reach you they will find you
well. I would have written you before, but I was waiting to hear from my
friend, Mr. Brown. I judge his business has been of importance as the occasion
why he has not written before. Dear sir, nothing would have prevented me from
writing, in a case of this kind, except death.
My soul is vexed, my troubles are inexpressible. I often
feel as if I were willing to die. I must see my wife in short, if not, I will
die. What would I not give no tongue can utter. Just to gaze on her sweet lips
one moment I would be willing to die the next. I am determined to see her some
time or other. The thought of being a slave again is miserable. I hope heaven
will smile upon me again, before I am one again. I will leave Canada again
shortly, but I don't name the place that I go, it may be in the bottom of the
ocean. If I had known as much before I left, as I do now, I would never have
left until I could have found means to have brought her with me. You have never
suffered from being absent from a wife, as I have. I consider that to be nearly
superior to death, and hope you will do all you can for me, and inquire from
your friends if nothing can be done for me. Please write to me immediately on receipt
of this, and say something that will cheer up my drooping spirits. You will
oblige me by seeing Mr. Brown and ask him if he would oblige me by going to
Richmond and see my wife, and see what arrangements he could make with her, and
I would be willing to pay all his expenses there and back. Please to see both
Mr. Bagnel and Mr. Minkins, and ask them if they have seen my wife. I am
determined to see her, if I die the next moment. I can say I was once happy, but
never will be again, until I see her; because what is freedom to me, when I
know that my wife is in slavery? Those persons that you shipped a few weeks
ago, remained at St. Catherine, instead of coming over to Toronto. I sent you
two letters last week and I hope you will please attend to them. The
post-ofiice is shut, so I enclose the money to pay the post, and please write
me in haste.
I remain evermore
your obedient servant,
I. Forman.
SOURCE: William Still, The Underground Railroad: A
Record of Facts, Authentic Narratives, Letters &c., p. 65
