Content:
This manuscript notebook contains a series of diary entries from December
1862 to December 1863. In the entries, Whitman keeps track of family
correspondence and of how he spent his days. He often mentions visiting
wounded and dying soldiers in Washington military hospitals. While the
whole notebook adds context to Whitman's writings about the Civil War,
there are two entries that can be directly linked to specific passages
in Whitman's published work. The entry from Monday, May 4th, 1863 (surface 12) mentions "4th Hooker's battles around Fredericksburg
to night the wounded begin to arrive from Hooker's command." This passage contributes to the section "The Wounded from
Chancellorsville" published in
Specimen Days & Collect
(1882-1883)
and retained in
Complete Prose Works
(1892). The entry from Wednesday,
September 16th, 1863 (surface number thirty-one), reporting the death of Lorenzo Strong, contributes to "Last of the War Cases" published
in
November Boughs
(1888) and
later retained in
Complete Prose Works
(1892).
