Life & Letters

Correspondence

About this Item

Title: Walt Whitman to John Townsend Trowbridge, 20 May 1864

Date: May 20, 1864

Whitman Archive ID: sta.00001

Source: Stanford University. The transcription presented here is derived from Walt Whitman, The Correspondence, ed. Edwin Haviland Miller (New York: New York University Press, 1961–1977), 1:224. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the correspondence, see our statement of editorial policy.

Contributors to digital file: Elizabeth Lorang, Vanessa Steinroetter, Luke Hollis, and Alyssa Olson




Washington
May 20 1864

Dear friend1

Your welcome gift of money for wounded here, ($5) came safe to-day & is most acceptable—Most of wounded brought up here now are without a cent—Many of the cases appeal very strongly—(I sometimes think only one going among the men as I do, with personal feeling & my own way of investigation understands how deep & what sort the appeal is)—the hospitals are very full—Armory Square has more inmates than many a well known New England village—I go as usual to one or another hospital & to Alexandria, day & night—

Dear friend, I shall always be glad to hear from you—Should you find any you know who are able & who feel to aid the wounded, through me, it would come very acceptable now—sure to reach addressed


Walt Whitman

Care Major Hapgood | Paymaster U S Army | Washington D C

J T Trowbridge | Somerville | Massachusetts


Notes:

1. See Whitman's letter from December 27, 1863[back]


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