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Walt Whitman to Talcott Williams, 4 May 1886

About This Item

  • Title: Walt Whitman to Talcott Williams, 4 May 1886
  • Date: May 4, 1886
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
  • Whitman Archive ID: loc.04873
  • Source: The Charles E. Feinberg Collection of the Papers of Walt Whitman, 1839–1919, 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: Stefan Schöberlein Kyle Barton
  • Cite this page: Whitman, Walt. "Walt Whitman to Talcott Williams, 4 May 1886." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 09 May 2025. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
  • Source File: loc.04873.xml (TEI)
 loc_vm.01353_large.jpg  loc_vm.01352_large.jpg 328 Mickle Street Camden New Jersey May 4 '861

I have been going for two weeks to write special letters of thanks &c to you & T D2 for your kindness & labors in my lecture, and raising in it, $674 for me—I appreciate all, & indeed thank you—It is the biggest stroke of pure kindness & concrete help I have ever rec'd—But all formal letters must just fizzle down to this card—whose duplicate I send to T D—

Walt Whitman

Correspondent:
Talcott Williams (1849–1928) was associated with the New York Sun and World as well as the Springfield Republican before he became the editor of the Philadelphia Press in 1879. His newspaper vigorously defended Whitman in news articles and editorials after the Boston censorship of 1882. For more information about Williams, see Philip W. Leon, "Williams, Talcott (1849–1928)," Walt Whitman: An Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings (New York: Garland Publishing, 1998).

Notes

  • 1. This postal card is addressed: Talcott Williams | Daily Press office | Corner Chestnut & Seventh St. | Phila:. It is postmarked: CAMDEN | MAY | 6 | 8 PM | N.J.; RECEIVED | MAY 6 | 9 PM | [illegible] [back]
  • 2. Thomas Donaldson (1843–1898) was a lawyer from Philadelphia and a friend of Whitman. He introduced Whitman to Bram Stoker and later accompanied Stoker when he visited the poet; he also organized a fund-raising drive to buy Whitman a horse and carriage. He authored a biography of Whitman titled Walt Whitman, the Man (1896). For more information about Donaldson, see Steven Schroeder, "Donaldson, Thomas (1843–1898)," Walt Whitman: An Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings (New York: Garland Publishing, 1998). [back]
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