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Walt Whitman to Thomas Jefferson Whitman, 7 September [1886]

About This Item

  • Title: Walt Whitman to Thomas Jefferson Whitman, 7 September [1886]
  • Date: September 7, 1886
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
  • Whitman Archive ID: mhs.00022
  • Source: Missouri Historical Society. 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 Thomas Jefferson Whitman, 7 September [1886]." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 09 May 2025. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
  • Source File: mhs.00022.xml (TEI)
 mhs.00022.001_large.jpg Camden Sept: 7 p m

I think every hour of the day, (& night too when awake) of Hattie—& of how it must be there with you & Jess1—but keep on much the same, with my doings & affairs—

—I know well enough, dear brother, how gloomy & blank all must be to you & Jess.

—I wish I could do something to help—

W W  mhs.00022.002_large.jpg

Correspondent:
Thomas Jefferson Whitman (1833–1890), known as "Jeff," was Walt Whitman's favorite brother. As a civil engineer, Jeff eventually became Superintendent of Water Works in St. Louis and a nationally recognized figure. For more on Jeff, see Randall Waldron, "Whitman, Thomas Jefferson (1833–1890)," Walt Whitman: An Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings (New York: Garland Publishing, 1998).

Notes

  • 1. Mannahatta (Hattie) Whitman, the poet's niece, died on September 3 and was buried three days later (Whitman's Commonplace Book, Charles E. Feinberg Collection of the Papers of Walt Whitman, 1839–1919, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.). Jess is Jessie Louisa, Jeff's other daughter. [back]
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