Lewis K. Brown to Walt Whitman, 5 September 1864 a machine readable transcription Lewis K. Brown Dennis Berthold Kenneth M. Price Transcription and encoding Elizabeth Lorang Kathryn Kruger Eric Conrad Nick Krauter Center for Digital Research in the Humanities, University of Nebraska-Lincoln University of Iowa National Historical Publications and Records Commission 2008 The Walt Whitman Archive
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 nyp.00169 Charley Shively Calamus Lovers: Walt Whitman's Working-Class Camerados San Francisco, California Gay Sunshine Press 1987 86-88 Lewis K. Brown Lewis K. Brown to Walt Whitman, 5 September 1864 September 5, 1864 Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature at the New York Public Library Lewis K. Brown Walt Whitman added schematron declaration converted to P5 proofreading changes annotations updated TEI header checked and proofed Transcribed, Encoded

I once more after a long delay will endeavor to converse with you with the aid of pens & paper. I received a answer to my first letter stating that you wer at home sick. I was very very sorry to hear of it indeed, for it appears to be very hard for you to be sick, after being amongst it so much in the Hospitals & doing so much to seas [cease ?] it among the suffering & sick Soldiers, but if it is the will of God I suppose it is for the best. I hope by the time this reaches you that you will be in the enjoyment of good health. I have got my discharge from the Hospitals about 3 weeks ago & am now employed in the Provost Marshall office at the corner of 18th & I St at the enrolling office I like the place very well but I dont know how long I will stay here. The salery is $ 3.00 per day & the work is very easy. We are allmost ready for the draft to come off I guess that by tomorrow Morning we will have all the cards wrote. there is over 2000 men to come out of the district & that is going to fetch some of the old rats out of their holes. There is a great deal of swindling done here now in the way of getting in substitutes they get some in that a[i]nt 15 years [old.] Some of the Brokers will make a man drunk & when he gets sober he will be a Soldier with the uniform on him. One of the detectives arrested a deserter belonging to the 14th Broklin Regiment that deserted at the first Battle of Bulls Run he has bin working for Adams & Co. Express here ever since until the detective got after him. he is now in Forrest Hall Georgetown. He will be assigned to some other regiment to serve the remainder of his time.

I was down at the Armory Square Hospital. things have changed very much there Dr. Bliss he charge. The amiable Miss Lowell is still there & will be untill the end of the Chapter . Cate is Ward Master. Benedict is M.C. little Billy is still there but his time is out the offices in the Ward each give him $5.00 per week to stay & dress their wounds for them

I Board down in the city with Joseph Harris (who by the way sens his love to you). I have bin boarding up on 18th & H st untill Saturday I moved down. Jo is not enjoying good health he is sick nearly half of his time. he did not know your address or he would of writen to you e'er this probily he will write & send some with this. Adrian Bartlett is boarding there allso & we will have a pleasant time of it he is still in the tresaury & I think probibly will stay for some time.

Well I must stop & go to work now I will finish after while.

Noon. I will now write some more. I took a trip down to Alexander a few days ago I went down in the Morning about 10 A.M. & came home about 4 P.M. I had a very pleasant time only I broke my leg just as I got ready to come home & had some little difficulty in getting home without my cruches I got so I could walk quite well on my leg only last week my stump took a notion to brake out & there has bin two small pieces of bone come out but I think in a little while I will be ready to wear my leg again.

The weather here has bin very bad but until within this last few days it has moderated & is now very pleasant. It looks very much like rain to day but I don't know whither it will get it down or not

I guess I have wrote about all I can think of this [time] so I must close hoping very soon to hear from you I remain very affectionately your most sincear friend Hoping you will forgive all mistake &c I am as ever yours