Correspondent:
Richard Maurice Bucke (1837–1902) was a Canadian physician and psychiatrist who grew close to Whitman after reading Leaves of Grass in 1867 (and later memorizing it) and meeting the poet in Camden a decade later. Even before meeting Whitman, Bucke claimed in 1872 that a reading of Leaves of Grass led him to experience "cosmic consciousness" and an overwhelming sense of epiphany. Bucke became the poet's first biographer with Walt Whitman (Philadelphia: David McKay, 1883), and he later served as one of his medical advisors and literary executors. For more on the relationship of Bucke and Whitman, see Howard Nelson, "Bucke, Richard Maurice," Walt Whitman: An Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings (New York: Garland Publishing, 1998).

Notes:

1. This letter is addressed: Walt Whitman | 328 Mickle Street | Camden | New Jersey U.S.A. It is postmarked: London | PM | DE 24 | 88 | Canada; Camden [illegible] | Dec | 2 [illegible] | 6 AM | [illegible] | Rec'd. [back]

2. Letters for December 24 and 26, 1888, are currently missing. From the surviving evidence it is possible to reconstruct the general nature of these letters.

On December 27, 1888, Whitman wrote Bucke: "have rec'd yours of 24th, & note carefully what you say of food, alcohol, &c, and of the effete wretchedness—all thoroughly judged & true, & shall charge myself practically with it—certainly so—& glad to get it."

The extant Bucke letter to Whitman of December 24 contains no mention of diet. It would appear that Bucke wrote two letters to Whitman that day—something which he did on occasion (e.g. November 28, 1888, and later that same evening). On December 29, 1888, Bucke wrote Traubel: "I have urged the warm bath, medicine, moderate diet (almost starvation diet is safest for him) he has answered my letter and says he will attend to what I say" (Feinberg). Bucke is referring to the letter Whitman wrote on December 27, 1888. Some further evidence of the content of this letter is provided by Traubel:

"Among the letters W. gave me yesterday [December 27, 1888] was one from Bucke very specific about W.'s diet. W. said to-night: 'It is—yes it is—a very good letter: I am conscious it should be obeyed. I know no one better able to say these things than Bucke.' Bucke had advised that the letter be shown to Walsh, who could give more direct instructions. W. has not done this: it is doubtful if he will, though he may" (Horace Traubel, With Walt Whitman in Camden, Friday, December 28, 1888).

It is more difficult to reconstruct the nature of Bucke's letter to Whitman of December 26, 1888.

On December 29, 1888, Whitman wrote Bucke: "y'rs of 26th came last evn'g—Yes, I shall mind—think I understand & accept the matter below it, & shall practically put it in action."

[Lozynsky goes on to argue that] Bucke's letter of December 26 was a follow-up to his letter of the 24th concerning diet. In his December 29 letter, Whitman may be reassuring Bucke that he intends to keep the promise made in his letter of the 27th. The fact that both these letters are missing suggests a link between them. They were put aside either for consultation about specific details or, as Traubel mentions, for presentation to Dr. Walsh. [Note copied from Artem Lozynsky, ed., The Letters of Dr. Richard Maurice Bucke to Walt Whitman (Detroit, MI: Wayne State University Press, 1977), 98–99.] [back]

3. See Whitman's letter to Bucke of December 21, 1888. [back]

4. Ellen M. "Nelly" O'Connor was the wife of William D. O'Connor (1832–1889), one of Whitman's staunchest defenders. Before marrying William, Ellen Tarr was active in the antislavery and women's rights movements as a contributor to the Liberator and to a women's rights newspaper Una. Whitman dined with the O'Connors frequently during his Washington years. Though Whitman and William O'Connor would temporarily break off their friendship in late 1872 over Reconstruction policies with regard to emancipated black citizens, Ellen would remain friendly with Whitman. The correspondence between Whitman and Ellen is almost as voluminous as the poet's correspondence with William. For more on Whitman's relationship with the O'Connors, see Dashae E. Lott, "O'Connor, William Douglas [1832–1889]," Walt Whitman: An Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings (New York: Garland Publishing, 1998). [back]

5. William Douglas O'Connor (1832–1889) was the author of the grand and grandiloquent Whitman pamphlet "The Good Gray Poet," published in 1866 (a digital version of the pamphlet is available at "The Good Gray Poet: A Vindication"). For more on Whitman's relationship with O'Connor, see Deshae E. Lott, "O'Connor, William Douglas (1832–1889)," Walt Whitman: An Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings (New York: Garland Publishing, 1998). [back]

6. See note 3 to Whitman's letter to Ellen O'Connor of December 19, 1888. [back]

7. William John Gurd (1845–1903) was Richard Maurice Bucke's brother-in-law, with whom he was designing a gas and fluid meter to be patented in Canada and sold in England. Bucke believed the meter would be worth "millions of dollars," while Whitman remained skeptical, sometimes to Bucke's annoyance. In a March 18, 1888, letter to William D. O'Connor, Whitman wrote, "The practical outset of the meter enterprise collapsed at the last moment for the want of capital investors." For additional information, see Horace Traubel, With Walt Whitman in Camden, Sunday, March 17, 1889, Monday, March 18, 1889, Friday, March 22, 1889, and Wednesday, April 3, 1889. [back]

8. John Nesbit was a partner with Bucke and Gurd in the marketing of the gas and fluid meter; see Bucke's letter to Whitman of August 28, 1888. [back]