Walt Whitman to Unidentified Correspondent, [6 May 1887]

About This Item

Title: Walt Whitman to Unidentified Correspondent, [6 May 1887]
Date: May 6, 1887
Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Whitman Archive ID: yal.00468
Source: Yale Collection of American Literature, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. The transcription presented here is derived from Walt Whitman, The Correspondence, ed. Edwin Haviland Miller (New York: New York University Press, 1961–1977), 91–92. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the correspondence, see our statement of editorial policy.
Contributors to digital file: Alex Ashland Stefan Schöberlein Kevin McMullen Stephanie Blalock
Cite this page: Whitman, Walt. "Walt Whitman to Unidentified Correspondent, [6 May 1887]." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 09 May 2025. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
Source File: yal.00468.xml (TEI)

You must excuse the liberty I take in introducing the young man who will hand you this—a conductor on the W P City R R & a particular friend of mine—who will explain the reason of his call. Pray listen to what he has to say.1

Correspondent:
As yet we have no information about this correspondent.

Notes

1. This draft letter appears in a notebook at Yale with the following also in Whitman's hand: "Sir | Feeling that I am competent & determined to give satisfaction I hereby apply for an appointment under you on the road | W H Duckett | May 6 '87." Undoubtedly Duckett, Whitman's young Camden driver, was expected to make a copy of the letter. [back]