The Walt Whitman Archive
Life & Letters
Correspondence
About this Item
Title: Walt Whitman to Anne Gilchrist, 19 May [1878]
Date: May 19, 1878
Whitman Archive ID: hyb.00008
Source: The Pierpont Morgan Library, New York; The Charles E. Feinberg Collection of the Papers of Walt Whitman, 1839–1919, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. The transcription presented here is derived from Walt Whitman, The Correspondence, ed. Edwin Haviland Miller (New York: New York University Press, 1964), 3:119. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the correspondence, see our statement of editorial policy.
Contributors to digital file: Alicia Bones, Grace Thomas, Anthony Dreesen, Kevin McMullen, Kirsten Clawson, and Nicole Gray
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Camden1
Sunday afternoon
May 19
My dear friend
I came up last night from a three days visit to White Horse2—went down thinking only to spend the day, but the spring beauty of the creek, skies, weather, trees, birds &c. fascinated me—
I am feeling excellent well to-day, for me—have been out to a gay breakfast party (lawyers & ladies & lots of talk, & champagne)3—& enjoyed it very well—but once of such a thing will last me a long while—got home about one o'clock, (it has now just struck four)—consequence of my gay breakfast is, I have not eat any dinner—but shall go to Col. Johnston's to supper4—
Thanks to Herbert for his good letters of the 7th from Brooklyn—& the 16th from Northampton5—please give him the enclosed postal, I found at White Horse—May-be you will like to read Miss Hillard's letter—so I enclose it—The Staffords are mostly as usual—George S. not very well, but around at work—Debbie not married yet6—
You must have fine surroundings indeed at Round Hill—As I close we have the prospect of a fine evening—A cannon has just boomed out on the river, probably an ocean-steam just come in, firing her signal gun—& I am just off to Col. J's, & to leave this at the P O—
Best love to all—
Walt Whitman
Notes:
1. The envelope for this letter bears the address: Mrs Anne Gilchrist | Round Hill Hotel | Northampton | Mass:. It is postmarked: Camden | May | 19 | N.J. [back]
2. Whitman had been with the Staffords from May 16 to 18 (Whitman's Commonplace Book, Charles E. Feinberg Collection of the Papers of Walt Whitman, 1839–1919, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.). [back]
3. He had breakfast at the home of James Matlack Scovel (Whitman's Commonplace Book, Charles E. Feinberg Collection of the Papers of Walt Whitman, 1839–1919, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.). [back]
4. Whitman almost invariably went to Johnston's on Sunday evenings when he was in Camden. [back]
5. These letters are not known. [back]
6. Debbie was married on June 13, 1878 (Whitman's Commonplace Book). [back]