By Mrs. Snow's and Mr. Cole's 7th Grade Classes at Blue Hill Consolidated School
John Edward Horton was born on November 30, 1829 in Bluehill, Maine. His parents were John Horton and Sarah “Sally” Stover. He worked as a milkman for his first job until in 1853, he went to California to become a miner. He stayed in California until approximately 1856.
A picture of John’s time in California emerges through the letters he sent to his brother Josiah and his father, John. He also sent money to his family and anxiously awaited return mail from them. John’s family told him there were many “Bluehillers” going west to earn more money but John reported that he never met a Blue Hill native during his time out west. John and his business partners bought two mining companies along Poor Man’s Creek. He hoped to make enough money to buy a farm before he went home. He reported making fifteen hundred dollars in one year alone but there is no proof that he ever bought his farm.
After John returned from California, he married Laura Webber on April 19, 1860 in Bluehill. Their only child was a boy named Orrin Horton who was born on June 20, 1863 in Somerville, MA. Orrin grew up in Blue Hill and became a builder. He died in the 1920’s.
John Horton was a soldier in the Civil War and became a corporal on July 1, 1864. He was captured by Confederate soldiers on August 19, 1864 and taken to C.S. Military Prison in Richmond, Virginia. From there, he was transferred to a prison in Salisbury, North Carolina on October 9, 1864. His diary of prison life tells of the horrendous living conditions at the prisons. Numerous people died every day. There was a lot of disease, not enough food or adequate medical care. Horton reported regularly suffering from diarrhea and dehydration.
The prisoners at the camps had to buy their own food and John would sometimes sell his possessions in order to get money for food and other essentials. He mentions eating rice soup, bean soup, and bread and makes it clear that there was very little meat.
Letters to and from his wife and child were rare but it is clear that John was aware of national political events. He writes in his diary that he wished he could be home to vote for “Old Abe” and later, that he had read Abraham Lincoln had won the election for president.
His health continued to decline and he died of diarrhea on January 6, 1865 in Belle Isle Prison. Two years later, on January 12, 1867, John's widow Laura applied to the federal government for an increase in her widow's pension. It is unknown if the increase was granted, but prior to the application for increase, Laura Horton received $8.00 per month in pension payment.
