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My dear Walt.

from the booksellers for the present, so I sent you today a package of such books as I could pick from my

Good-bye, my dear friend, and may the good angels help you in your good work. J. T. Trowbridge.

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, Dear Friend I received your kind and ever welcome letter from you and glad to hear that my brother

there from Saturday night until Monday morning before any train left I dont think I ever was so sick in my

with your office I am in hopes you have recd it before this time I begun to think that your office & my

discharge had gone to the same place now I have got my papers I think you had ought to receive yours

I cant write any more this time my hand trembles so I can hardly write but I will try & do better next

time give my best respects to Mr & Mrs O Connor.

Of the O'Connors, Thomas Jefferson Whitman wrote on June 13, 1863: "I am real glad, my dear Walt, that

My health is some better than it was when I left the Hospital, but I am not well by a good deal and I

My dear sir, I was very glad to hear of the receipt of the check I sent you & to know that it had already

system, but without effect— I have received twenty dollars here to be forwarded to you, ($10 cash from my

My dear sir, Having an opportunity to send by Miss Lowe the $20. From H. Lee, & B.

My Dear Friend Walter, Your very kind and long looked for letter of Aug 1st came to hand on the 6th &

Now I will put in a word for myself my leg still continues to mend verry slow but I hope sure, and I

have ben enjoying my self as well as I could with my sore leg I have bin a way on a visit for a week

& I have enjoyed my sel[f] verry much (for a wounded soldier is something hear I tell you) for the people

a copperhead & a Reblle I would shoot the copperhead first, and to tell you the truth I am proud of my

My Dear Freind Walter.

It is with mutch pleasure that I take my pen in hand to inform you that I am well and that my leg is

I have had a good many of my young friends to see me.

My Father and Mother are well and send their respects to you for Mother says whoeve[r] did me a faivor

I expect that you still visit the Hospital if so give my respects to the boys I have nothing more to

Now I suppose that you would like to know how I enjoy my self: Well I go out most every day but I do

Hospital at Georgetown, so we aint got so many shoulder strapes hear, but we have got enough yet for my

My leg is rather worse this morning & the Doctor sayes that I must stay in bed to day, so I suppose that

Well I think my letter is getting full long as I must begin to think about closing.

scaffold all up—I have not bin up to the Capitol for some time, but probily I will go up on Monday if my

Your memory burns as bright as ever in my heart & allways will, thear is now doubt but some of my corrospondants

I will be thear on the last day of August, if I do not get my furlow extended, whitch I have the hopes

of, for I would most as leave come back to see my old friends as stay at home.

The Doctor that tens me hear wants me for to try and get my furlow extended, for he thinks that my leg

Dear Walter I am enjoying my self fine as well, I think, as any cripple can.

I again take my pen in hand to write a few lines to you to let you know how I am a getting This makes

that Gettysburg Battle. he sais that it was awful, and that he never wants to see the like of it again My

health is verry good, and my leg dos still continue's to mend slowly—but verry slow, the Doctor has

I am enjoying my self as well as I can with my four legs but I cannot go about much yet I am a going

No more at present but good by and write soon with my love to you and all enquiring friends, I remain

Dear Walter As I am not a going out to day I thought that my time could not be better imployed than by

Sawyer to day he is well. he sayes that they have bin on the move so that he could not answer my letter

thing about your letter—he is a going to try to get a pass to come up hear this winter— Conserning my

self I am about old fassion. my leg mends slowly (about as it was when you wer hear) I have bin out

last night we got payed off and to day it is rainey and wet so it quite uncomfortable you must excuse my

have been moving about so I aint had time well no more this time pleas answer this soon as you can my

dont know as she remember me but I do her how could I forget her if you see her pleas tell her I send my

you may think he is not very well i am sorry walt your head is no better how bad it must b e good by my

wonder how she is i think so much about her some nights i cant sleep if she wou ld only write to me) my

institutionalizing Jesse because, according to her December 25, 1863 letter, she "could not find it in my

not done befor before in years i dont don't think it done me any good one or t w o nights i thought my

lunatic assiliym asylum if he had some light employment but that seems hard to get i could not find it in my

little california is splendid she s fatter than ever i hope these lines will find you well good bie my

monday Monday evening My dear walt i was sorry my being so late last week with my letter caused you any

uneasiness if any thing was the matter with me more than common you would be advised of it my dear walter

to venture it rained here last night very hard) i am about as usual i have had rather bad pains in my

its fronting the north or south) not one word have i had from Jeff or matt or han or ma ry you are my

wensday Wednesday morning My dear Walt i have just got your letter with the shinplasters dident didn't

you get my letter when mary was here saying i got the other there is no letters miscarries that is directed

here i think i have had another attack of the rheumatism but not much in my hands so i can use them

but in my neck and shoulders i had not A very good night last night but am better this morning i am in

here the same morning he returnd returned poor man he said you was very kind to him indeed good bie my

In his April 19, 1863 letter from Winchester, Kentucky, Greenback wrote, "Captain Whitman is ordered

The pseudonym "Greenback" may be a pun: Captain Whitman, the one sending the greenbacks (dollars) to

3 Sept '63 My dear Walter i sit down to write you a few lines you have received georges letter before

georgee was sick a nd Andrew had gone and left her without any money i gave her one dollar and one of my

institutionalizing Jesse because, according to her December 25, 1863 letter, she "could not find it in my

Russell, which came to us through my sister Miss Stevenson.

is pleasant to know where one has excited an interest, & in asking you to acknowledge its receipt, my

My direction is to care of Charles P. Curtis, Boston. With regard, I am, Margaret S.

very thankful to you for the kindness you have shown and Still Show to our poor boy i cant express My

from Culpeper William Did not think of asking what it would cost to Send him on to his frinds the captain

a Coffin they buryed him as Decently as they could by pining him up in a thick woolen blanket the captain

can tell you but little of the feelings of our hearts towards you for the intrest you have taken in My

we come Die both parents and children brothers and Sisters but i Shall tire your patience i was to My

Dear Sir, My brother wishes me to inform you of the state of his health, also of his journey home he

On October 18, 1863, Babbitt was depressed—"dark clouds seem to be lying in my pathway and I can not

remove them nor hide them from my mind"—until he mentioned his beloved, Nellie F.

Dear Sir I feel that as my brothers friend you have been neglecred but owing to sickness in the family

On October 18, 1863, Babbitt was depressed—"dark clouds seem to be lying in my pathway and I can not

remove them nor hide them from my mind"—until he mentioned his beloved, Nellie F.

The contributions of Willie Durkee and my little girl are rather small but it takes all their spare funds

May 27th 1863 Walt Whitman My Dear Friend Enclosed I send you ten dollars.

This is my contribution $5. per month, and is for the months of April and May.

My own visits and distributions

letter from December 29, 1862: "I wish you would write for me something…that I can present, opening my

Chase, however, kept the letter because he wanted an Emerson autograph; see Trowbridge, My Own Story

Buffalo— 12 Jan y 1863 Dear Sir, I am very sorry to be so late with my reply to your note, which was

You will see that I have dated my note from my known residence. With best hope, R. W.

On October 18, 1863, Babbitt was depressed ("dark clouds seem to be lying in my pathway and I can not

remove them nor hide them from my mind") until he mentioned his beloved, Nellie F.

Fort Bennet, July 21st 1863 Adjutant General Thomas, General: I have the honor to forward this my application

Herewith please see testimonials from my officers. I have the honor General to remain &c.

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

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."

Captain John Mullan (1830–1909), an army engineer, had just published for the U.S.

Lane concerning Captain Mullan (see also Jeff's letter to Walt from April 20, 1863).

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

The blow struck at Lee & the rebel sway in Virginia, & generally at Richmond & Jeff Davis, …is in my

Moses Lane wrote to Captain James J.

I am real glad my dear Walt that you are among such good people.

series of lectures & readings &c. through different cities of the north, to supply myself with funds for my

As he wrote Jeff, he hoped it would enable him "to continue my Hospital ministrations, on a more free

I love Mat as I love my life—dearer by far—and to have this infernal pup—a perfect hell-drag to his Mother—treat

I wish to God he was ready to put along side of Andrew  There would be but few tears shed on my part

It will be a sad thing to leave her with them but I can't think I am doing my duty to my wife if I leave

From my own personal observations I think that the newspapers would give one the most perverted kind

My idea is this, to make a certain portion of the city, say certain wards that make a district, not too

My theory is that before the people found out the thing drafting would be over, and like the fellow that

I find them of great use in giving me ideas about my business and they are too cursed costly to buy  

letter to his mother, Louisa Van Velsor Whitman: "Mother, when you or Jeff writes again, tell me if my

requesting ten copies of the Daily Eagle, Walt asked Jeff in a letter dated April 28, 1863 for "5 more of my

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

April 20th 1863 Dear Walt, I was glad to hear—from your letter to mother—that you had received my letters—containing

Captain John Mullan (1830–1909), an army engineer, was associated with General Isaac I.

If you do not use them, and you dont think George will want them for the present, (my reason for thinking

Everything in the way of eating and wearing is awful high, but I manage to make enough to keep my head

My own opinion is that he will not recover, that he cannot last long.

do Andrew a great deal of good  In the letter that Mother received yesterday from you, you speak abt my

worries you without doing any good, and another thing it is not like you think in regard to cutting down my

Give yourself no thought abt my worring. Something that I have got entirely past.

Brooklyn 22nd Sept. 1863 Dear brother Walt, The enclosed $25 is from my old friend Joseph P.

I have written him in some of my letters what you were doing, with short extracts from your letters.

The whole thing in my opinion is one of the biggest of humbugs.

stingey we wouldent know what to doo but i got the same old retort that it was me that was stingey with my

If my letters home don't show it, you don't get 'em.

enough to eat & drink, and shelter, in the moderatest limits) any more, since the last four months of my

December 28th/63 Dear brother Walt, My last letter to you was dated from Springfield Mass.

Of course I have had to keep my work up in Brooklyn just the same as if I had not been away,—had to work

a duty to our Mother for her comfort and indeed for her safty and of course I have another stake in my

That iron-clad that sunk at Charleston drownded one of my intimate friends H. W.

He was in my party on the line and was my room-mate for a year.

years  I think it would be very bad for him to be put in the lunatic assiliym...i could not find it in my