Moses Lane to Walt Whitman, 26 January 1863

About This Item

Title: Moses Lane to Walt Whitman, 26 January 1863
Date: January 26, 1863
Creator(s): Moses Lane
Whitman Archive ID: loc.00883
Source: Charles E. Feinberg Collection of the Papers of Walt Whitman, 1839–1919, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 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: Elizabeth Lorang Eric Conrad Vanessa Steinroetter
Cite this page: Lane, Moses. "Moses Lane to Walt Whitman, 26 January 1863." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 23 April 2024. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
Source File: loc.00883.xml (TEI)

loc.00883.001.jpg Nassau Water Department,
Brooklyn, Jany 26th 1863 Mr Whitman
Dear Sir

Enclosed I1 send you
$5. from E. R. Durkee Esq2
$3. " Mrs. E. R. Durkee
$1. " L. M. Smith Esq
$1. " Geo. H. Burgess Esq
$5. " G. T. Coleman Esq.
.05 " Willie Durkee
.15 " Miss Kate Lane
$15.20.

The contributions of Willie Durkee and my little girl are rather small but it takes all their spare funds for the week, and they are the only contributors thus far that will have to deny themselves anything on account of the amount of their contributions.

I hope to be able to make loc.00883.002.jpgyou another remittance this week.

Very truly yours Moses Lane

Notes

1. Moses Lane was chief engineer in the Brooklyn Water Works. Like Jeff, he collected money from his employees and friends. Lane sent Whitman various sums which he acknowledged in letters. In his letter of May 27, 1863, Lane pledged $5 each month. In an unpublished manuscript in the Berg Collection, Whitman, wrote, obviously for publication: "I have distributed quite a large sum of money, contributed for that purpose by noble persons in Brooklyn, New York, (chiefly through Moses Lane, Chief Engineer, Water Works there.)" Lane assisted Whitman in other ways. He was so solicitous of Whitman's personal welfare that on April 3, 1863, he sent through Jeff $5 "for your own especial benefit." [back]
2. According to the Brooklyn city directory for 1863–64, Eugene R. Durkee was a machinist and Lodrick M. Smith a bookkeeper and clerk. George H. Burgess and G. T. Coleman are unidentified. [back]