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Louisa Orr Whitman to Walt Whitman, [5 June 1873]

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  • Title: Louisa Orr Whitman to Walt Whitman, [5 June 1873]
  • Date: June 5, 1873
  • Creator(s): Louisa Orr Whitman
  • Whitman Archive ID: loc.05415
  • Source: Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Transcribed from digital images or a microfilm reproduction of the original item. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the correspondence, see our statement of editorial policy.
  • Contributors to digital file: Alex Kinnaman Nima Najafi Kianfar Nicole Gray Elizabeth Lorang
  • Cite this page: Whitman, Louisa Orr. "Louisa Orr Whitman to Walt Whitman, [5 June 1873]." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 18 April 2024. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
  • Source File: loc.05415.xml (TEI)
 loc_gk.01407_large.jpg Camden, Thursday Dear Brother Walt.

Your letter was received this morning, I was glad that you arrived safely in Washington. After I left you on Monday, I went to see the young lady, that I spoke to you of, that had been to Atlantic City, and I asked her, what kind of a place it was to have a quiet, nice time, and she said very good, that the Doctors house was the nearest the ocean, and that there would be a good walk to the beach from the house this year, and there is always a good breeze, and she said that if you had a room  loc_gk.01408_large.jpg fronting the ocean it was splendid. They go down the middle of June.

I rather think you would like it. As for coming to Camden, come right away if you can, plenty of room you know, and no doubt we will get enough to eat Aunt Libbie went away this morning. I had a letter from Mary to day, she wanted to know more about Mamy's death, I am going to write very soon to both Hannah and her, I have not found time yet to write all that I want to say, that is a satisfactory letter to them.

We had a line from Jeff

George is well and busy

Hope this will find you  loc_gk.01409_large.jpg feeling better. You might just send a line when you will be here. Love from all

Yours Lou  loc_gk.01410_large.jpg

Correspondent:
Louisa Orr Haslam Whitman (1842–1892), called "Loo" or "Lou," married Whitman's brother George Whitman on April 14, 1871. Their son, Walter Orr Whitman, was born in 1875 but died the following year. A second son was stillborn. Whitman lived in Camden, New Jersey, with George and Louisa from 1873 until 1884, when George and Louisa moved to a farm outside of Camden and Whitman decided to stay in the city. Louisa and Whitman had a warm relationship during the poet's final decades. For more, see Karen Wolfe, "Whitman, Louisa Orr Haslam (Mrs. George) (1842–1892)," Walt Whitman: An Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings (New York: Garland Publishing, 1998).

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