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opinion that the 51st is still in Kentucky at or near where George last wrote, but of course that is only my

such a misfortune to have such sickness, & always do any thing for him that you can in reason—Mat, my

little room 394 L st., get my own breakfast there, had good tea this morning, & some nice biscuit, (

They are truly friends to me—I still get my dinner at a restaurant usually.

mind again before me— Mother, did you see my letter in the N Y Times of Sunday Oct 4?

children in age yet—so good, so sweet, so brave, so decorous, I could not feel them nearer to me if my

stopping at one of the hospitals last night Miss Lowe just from Boston came to me & handed the letters—My

Dear comrade, you must be assured that my heart is much with you in New York, & with my other dear friends

Dear comrade, I still live here as a hospital missionary after my own style, & on my own hook—I go every

I have cut my beard short, & hair ditto: (all my acquaintances are in anger & despair & go about wringing

My face is all tanned & red.

Then around my majestic brow, around my well-brimmed felt hat—a black & gold cord with acorns.

New York, I had to be in Washington: I was never in the one place but I was restless for the other: my

Sq Hospital, Sunday evening Oct 4 Dear Madam, Your letter reached me this forenoon with the $30 for my

the midst of those it was sent to aid—& best by a sample of actual hospital life on the spot, & of my

in the way of thanks—is a country boy—always smiles & brightens much when I appear—looks straight in my

face & never at what I may have in my hand for him—I mention him for a specimen as he is within reach

of my hand & I can see that his eyes have been steadily fixed on me from his cot ever since I began

After Whitman gave this letter to Horace Traubel on July 27, 1888, he observed: "My main motive would

with surprises—with fancy turns of speech—with unusual, unaccustomed words—but to say them—to shoot my

so much want to see you, even if only for a couple of weeks—for I feel I must return here & continue my

I wonder why he didn't send me the Union with my letter in. I am disappointed at not getting it.

I sent Han [a] N Y Times with my last letter, & one to George too.

I thought I was cooler & more used to it, but the sight of some of them brought tears into my eyes—Mother

out with a long rough journey, all dirty & torn, & many pale as ashes, & all bloody—I distributed all my

is what they have eaten with Mat and I"; and again on October 8, 1863: "There is no doubt, Walt, in my

soldier boys should ever call upon you, (as they are often anxious to have my address in Brooklyn,)

I was with him a good deal, & the old man & his wife have written me, & asked me my address in Brooklyn

They will make you cry—There is nothing new with my hospital doings—I was there yesterday afternoon &

, & the house smells clean, & the room too—my old room they just left every thing lay where it was, &

singers are so good—when I come home we'll all try to go — Mother, I am very well—have some cold in my

Since I last wrote you I have continued my hospital visitations daily or nightly without intermission

My dear friend, if you should be able to go, or if not able yourself give this to your sister or some

friend who will go—it may be that my dear boy & comrade is not so very bad, but I fear he is.

I send my thanks & love to yourself, your sister, husband, & the sisters Wigglesworth.

I send George papers now & then—Mother, one of your letters contains part of my letter to the Union,

It seems to be mostly as I intended it, barring a few slight misprints—was my last name signed at the

or think too deeply—So I go giving you all good advice— O Mother, I must tell you how I get along in my

of you & Hat right away)—one thing is I am quite by myself, there is no passage up there except to my

room, & right off against my side of the house is a great old yard with grass & some trees back, & the

Sims, a captain in George Washington Whitman's Fifty-first New York Volunteer Regiment, had been the

letter to his mother on December 16, 1862: "I have come out safe and sound, although I had the side of my

jaw slightly scraped with a peice of shell which burst at my feet."

On September 22, 1863, George informed Jeff that Captain Sims was in Brooklyn to recruit for the regiment

Jeff explained the situation on October 22, 1863: "It is not like you think in regard to cutting down my

Curtis, and the other friends, I will briefly say, tells daily & nightly & shall tell to the best of my

power, upon my dear boys here, in hospital.

Good by, my friend. Walt Whitman to James Redpath, 12 October 1863

After this sentence Whitman deleted the following: "Do you want to print my new little volume of poetry

I always carry a stout double-pocket haversack, filled with things—also large pockets in my coat &c—I

have learnt what is appropriate—I generally carry a bottle of wine—I buy oranges by the box, & fill my

. & I am not with him any more—he has moved his office to his private room—I am writing this in my room

456 Sixth st—but my letters still come to Major's care, they are to be addrest same as ever, as I can

early, went down through the market, it is quite a curiosity—I bought some butter, tea, &c—I have had my

breakfast here in my room, good tea, bread & butter &c— Mother, I think about you all more than ever

George—I have no doubt the 51st is still at Crab Orchard — Mother, I hope you will try to write—I send you my

led the explosive Jeff to exclaim in a letter to Walt from December 15, 1863: "I love Mat as I love my

There would be but few tears shed on my part I can tell you. . . .

wrote Mother abt getting Jess in the Asylum—It does not seem to meet with her wishes—when I wrote you my

noise & laughing & drinking, of a dozen young men, & I among them, I would see your face before me in my

it would be if I could leave all the fun & noise & the crowd & be with you—I don't wish to disparage my

there is something that takes down all artificial accomplishments, & that is a manly & loving soul—My

Well, it is now past midnight, pretty well on to 1 o'clock, & my sheet is most written out—so, my dear

dear loving comrade, & the blessing of God on you by night & day, my darling boy.

I do not know that I told you that both of my parents were dead but it is true and now, Walt, you will

be a second Father to me won't you. for my love for you is hardly less than my love for my natural parent

say much more of what the world calls educated & polished, & brilliant in conversation, &c, than you, my

But, my dear comrades, I will now tell you something about my own folks—home here there is quite a lot

of us—my father is not living—my dear mother is very well indeed for her age, which is 67—she is cheerful

Often they hit each other, then there is a time— My loving comrades, I am scribbling all this in my room

in my mother's house.

, & I pray God to bless you, my darling boys, & I send you all my love, & I hope it will be so ordered

My relations with the boys there in Washington had fatherly, motherly, brotherly intimations—touched

I don't seem to be able to stand it in the present condition of my body'" (3:110–111).

I believe I told you in my last letter about the strange way the baby was born in the Chaplain's—well

past week or so, the heat is bad for the poor wounded men— Well, Lewy, I must now wind up—I send you my

love, my darling son & comrade, & request you to write me soon as convenient, how you are getting along

thousands in the struggle already— Lew, you speak in your letter how you would like to see me—well, my

land & all the items—you say I must excuse you for writing so much foolishness—nothing of the kind—My

have been sun-struck here the last two weeks—I keep shady through the middle of the day lately—Well, my

I have scribbled away any thing, for I wanted to write you to-day & now I must switch off—good by, my

morning, & was welcome, as any thing from you will always be, & the sight of your face welcomer than all, my

Lew, as to me & my affairs there is nothing very new or important—I have not succeeded in getting any

expenses—but it is my own fault, for I have not tried hard enough for any thing—the last three weeks

I have not felt very well—for two or three days I was down sick, for the first time in my life, (as

It is now about 3 o'clock, & I will go out & mail this letter, & then go & get my dinner—So good bye,

letters)—some like to have me feed them (wounded perhaps in shoulder or wrist) perhaps a few bits of my

succoring of the stomach (which is of course most welcome & indispensable) I should say that I believe my

I have formed attachments here in hospital, that I shall keep to my dying day, & they will the same,

& did you remember to give her my love? how did little Hattie look? had she grown much?

Don't forget the three things you were to bring for my especial benefit.

Ellen O'Connor related in a letter on November 24, 1863, that the Count had said to her recently: "My

My love to your good, noble mother, whom I shall some day know.

I enjoyed your letter very much, did I tell you so in my note?

I am better of my cough, which has been very bad, and I shall do well I have no doubt, but I get very

were—he asked if you were coming back &c. & when I told him that I had heard & should write you, he said "My

I wish that you were back here in your old room for my sake, for I miss you & shall.

About four days ago, I told Doctor he would in my opinion lose the boy without doubt—but F. again laugh'd

biography, The Ferry Boy and the Financier (Boston: Walker and Wise, 1864); he described their meetings in My

Though Trowbridge was not an idolator of Whitman, he wrote to O'Connor in 1867: "Every year confirms my

See Trowbridge, My Own Story, with recollections of noted persons (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1903), 179

Whitman included this entry among "verbatim extracts from letters home to my mother in Brooklyn, the

Dear boy, death has not blotted out my love for him, the remembrance will be not sad only but sweet.

You will either see me or hear of me in Brooklyn at my mother's, Louisa Whitman, Portland avenue, 4th

when I would come in, he woke up, & I would lean down & kiss him, he would reach out his hand & pat my

aye even their young & precious lives, in their country's cause—Poor dear son, though you were not my

So farewell, dear boy—it was my opportunity to be with you in your last rapid days of death—no chance

(in Portland avenue, 4th door north of Myrtle, my mother's residence.)

My address here is care of Major Hapgood, paymaster U S A, cor 15th & F st, Washington D C.

Lew is so good, so affectionate—when I came away, he reached up his face, I put my arm around him, and

As to me, there is nothing new with me, or my affairs.

I manage to pay my way here in Washington, what I make writing letters for the New York papers, &c.

My love you have in life or death forever.

Good bye, my darling comrade, my dear darling brother, for so I will call you, and wish you to call me

However, on April 12, 1863, Sawyer himself had written to Brown: "I want you to give my love to Walter

Whitman and tell him I am very sorry that I could not live up to my Prommice because I came away so

soon that it sliped my mind and I am very sorry for it, tell him that I shall write to him my self in

a few days, give him my love and best wishes for ever" (Henry W. and Albert A.

reply until January 21, 1864: "Dear Brother, I hardly know what to say to you in this letter for it is my

My thoughts are with you often enough, & I make reckoning when we shall one day be together again—yet

a letter was received by me April 28th, (very pretty written)—but I have not heard whether you got my

I enclosed in it an envelope with my address on, in hopes you would write to me.

There is no particular change in my affairs here—I just about manage to pay my way, with newspaper correspondence

My dearest comrade, I cannot, though I attempt it, put in a letter the feelings of my heart—I suppose

I was sorry you did not come up to my room to get the shirt & other things you promised to accept from

O my dear comrade & brother, I hope it will prove your good luck to come safe through all the engagements

Now, my dearest comrade, I will bid you so long , & hope God will put it in your heart to bear toward

Dear brother, You did not write any answer to my last two letters, now quite a while ago, still I will

I still remain here in Washington, finding just about work enough to pay my expenses.

he has returned from his furlough, he told me a few days ago he had written to you, & had sent you my

best respects—I told him he must never send my respects to you but always my love.

have not had a word from George yet—Mother, I have had quite an attack of sore throat & distress in my

a great effect upon him, & although I told the truth this time it did not have as good a result as my

The equipage is rather shabby, horses indeed almost what my friends the Broadway drivers would call old

here, sat in his carriage while Stanton came out & had a 15 minutes interview with him (I can see from my

sixteen, (about ten bugles, the rest cymbals & drums)—I tell you, mother, it made every thing ring—made my

I have told my mother & sister about you all. I send my love to William.

Tell Charles Eldridge too I send him my love.

Nelly, I am writing this from my room at my mother's house.

My sister Martha is untiring, feeding & nursing him.

My brother Jeff is well—he is a noble young man & one to love.

Dear brother, I am here in Brooklyn, New York, spending a few weeks home at my mother's.

I am well & fat, eat my rations regular, & weigh about 200—so you see I am not very delicate.

But the greatest patriot in the family is my old mother.

My room is 456 Sixth street.

But my letters are still addrest care of Major Hapgood, paymaster U S A, Washington D C.

Brooklyn Nov 17, 1863 Dear friend I suppose Nelly has received a letter from me posting you up of my

last night, Trovatore —very, very good singing & acting— I feel to devote myself more to the work of my

I shall range along the high plateau of my life & capacity for a few years now, & then swiftly descend

, & the objects, &c of most, seem to me very flippant & shallow somehow since I returned this time— My

Dear comrade, I send you my love, & to William & Nelly, & remember me to Major [Hapgood] — Walt Walt

What a difference it is with me here—I tell you, Nat, my evenings are frequently spent in scenes that

a few hours a day at copying &c, occasionally write a newspaper letter, & make enough money to pay my

in my room, (have a little spirit lamp) & rub on free & happy enough, untrammeled by business, for I

make what little employment I have suit my moods—walk quite a good deal, & in this weather the rich

love to Fritschy, & Fred Gray—I desire both to write to me—Nat, you also, my dear comrade, & tell me

They find me still hanging around here—my plans, wants, ideas, &c gradually getting into shape.

Not to fly off to these clouds, however, I must abruptly say to my friends, where interested, that I

neck, draws my face down, &c. quite a scene for the New Bowery.)

My beard, neck, &c. are woolier, fleecier, whiteyer than ever.

Now you write to me good long letters, my own boys.

This room is up on the fifth floor, (a most noble and broad view from my window.)

Fred, I wish you to present my best respects to your father.

John Frederick Schiller Gray was a captain in the Twentieth New York Infantry and later held the same

.On May 1, 1863, Gray excused his neglect in replying because of his military duties and "bothering my

brain with the detestable clerical duties incidental to my position": "I have just come from my Mother

, who, together with my Father, desires to be kindly remembered to you. . . .I lead a very different

I'm damned if I wouldn't have given up all my hopes in the future to have had you and my little girl

About what is called the Conscript Bill (an improper name) I hope and pray from the bottom of my heart

every man in the land—I would like to see the people embodied en-masse —I am very sure I shall see that my

name is in its place on the lists, and my body in the ranks, if they do it that way—for that will be

With my office-hunting, no special result yet. I cannot give up my Hospitals yet.

I never before had my feelings so thoroughly and (so far) permanently absorbed, to the very roots, as

The Hospitals still engross a large part of my time and feelings—only I don't remain so long and make

It comes from a bad cold, gathering I think in my head.

Things here are just the same with me, neither better nor worse—(I feel so engrossed with my soldiers

, I do not devote that attention to my office-hunting, which is needed for success.)

Jeff, you must give my best respects to Mr. and Mrs.

got lost I am more on the alert and mention them)— The poor Frenchman d'Almeida I told you about in my

Mother, my heart bleeds at all sorts of such damnable things of one kind or another I meet with every

Dear friend, My idea is a book of the time, worthy the time—something considerably beyond mere hospital

interest I surely think—in some respects somewhat a combination in handling of the Old French Memoires, & my

own personality (things seen through my eyes, & what my vision brings)—a book full enough of mosaic,

I have many hospital incidents, [that] will take with the general reader—I ventilate my general democracy

know the people generally now are too (far more than they know,) & would readily absorb & understand my

could easily publish a small Book, but the one you propose...implies an expenditure that may be beyond my

Don't mind my not answering them promptly, for you know what a wretch I am about such things.

girls, & about Mr Arnold —of course you won't forget Arthur, & always when you write to him send him my

But, my darling, it is a dreadful thing—you dont know these wounds, sicknesses &c—the sad condition in

evenings altogether at the hospitals—my day, often.

I like Washington very well (did you see my last letter in N Y Times of Oct 4, Sunday?)

It is [my] sincere wish that Johny Makey will survive the operation and ultimately recover.

Yes my dear Brother, You have my friendship as fully as you can desire, and I hope we will meet again

Having nothing more of importance to communicate, I will conclude with my best wishes for your health

Moses Lane wrote to Captain James J.

cry" yesterday in reading of how you had to get along, and I myself could hardly keep the water from my

Hart, a captain and acting assistant adjutant general in Company K of the Eighty-eighth New York Volunteers

I think I shall be able to carry through my little "real estate" scheme without much trouble, and I think

He had held the rank of captain since November 1, 1862, and after the war he attempted unsuccessfully

to secure a commission as a captain in the regular standing army (Jerome M.

machine, and that I must consign myself to the fate of the rest....Meantime I make about enough to pay my

I have almost made up my mind to set it so that a 65 or 70 x 20 foot lot can at any time be made in front

Mr Lane compliments me highly on my bargain and says I have done well .

Sims, a captain in George Washington Whitman's Fifty-first New York Volunteer Regiment, had been the

letter to his mother on December 16, 1862: "I have come out safe and sound, although I had the side of my

jaw slightly scraped with a peice of shell which burst at my feet."

On February 1, 1863, Geroge wrote to Walt Whitman: "I have my log hut partly finished and should have

I had my plan fixed up as I wanted it and left it with some three or four carpenters and got bids on

it. much to my astonishment I found that what I was supposed would cost at 11 or $1200 could not be done

I think that I have a good bargain in my lot if I can manage to hold on to it.

indirect approach by instructing his brother in a letter from March 18, 1863, thus: "Jeff, you must give my

My old friend Bill DeBevoise is home sick with " weakness " I suppose you might call it.

My friend J. W.

Mason, (used to be in my party on the Water Works) was in Brooklyn on Saturday  He was then on his way

Would'nt it be good if he was home just now to build my "house"  I should like much to have it done by

All send their love to you and receive my best wishes for your health and success  I remain as ever your

Sims, a captain in George's Fifty-first New York Volunteer Regiment, had been the subject in part of

letter to his mother on December 16, 1862: "I have come out safe and sound, although I had the side of my

jaw slightly scraped with a peice of shell which burst at my feet."