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I have neglected it so long I suppose you thought I had quit forgotten you, but I can asure you my Dear

your will I should be very happy to keep up a coraspandenc Now I will try and give you an account of my

morning changed cars there fore Pittsburg arrived there about noon I went to the Soldiers home and got my

about two months before that so in the evening I took the cars again and the next morning I arrived at my

estimated 15,000 Majority for the Union that is the home vote the copperheads are completely played out My

news here we had a good dinner here to day father yo must excuse me for not writing a long letter for my

mornin dated the 13 and was very glad to hear from yo i am not very well i have good dele of pain in my

away an then we must all sooner or later give up this world— i had a few lines from home this morning my

little girl is sick and i feeling bad to think that i cant see her now but my prays is that she may

start for elickazandry [Alexandria] to the convalesent camp if i could get to the city i could get my

discharge but i cant father i thank yo for seeing about my discriptave list for they owe me now six

yo and i was glad to here from yo i am not very well and have not ben for some time i have pain in my

head and breast i think the clorform that i have taken is the caus of it my hip is very painful to day

i was exasamend i think that i will go before the board in a day or two i may get my discharge i have

hurd that my ridgement is going home for the winter to recruit thair is only 17 men left inny more for

could get detailed in washington at some thing that i coud do i woud be very glad and would try to do my

Friend witman I now take the plesure of fulfilling my promace of writing to yo hoping to find yo en Joying

good hlth I am not very well i am worse now than wen i got out of bed i tore my wound acoming home the

i have been home i have had the docter and he ordered me to bathe in sider soaky i will hef to have my

better here than they do in washington I find a grate many that donte know me when i arrived in york my

cosin was thare and he brought me to my home it has ben rainy ever since I have been home— give my love

lost] yesterday and was glad to heer from yo and yo were en Joying good helth as for me i am not well my

very slow the warm wether chafed me all to peces and now with all the rest i have got a large boil on my

left knee my famly is well my little girl has ben quite sick but is well agen— the wether has ben very

and came horn and kep hid 3 weeks thare is 30 dollars reward on him i think they had or to hang him my

Dear Father I now take the plesure of fulfilling my promace a writing to you hoping those few lines will

find you well 1 am getting better fast i am at home now i got home after noon my famly is well i left

long to see yo and have a long talk with yo It rains here this morning and to day is lection one of my

not received the letter  I hope wen those few lines reach you they will find yo well i am quite well my

friday i was exazamend by the beast of dockters i would not go in the invalid corps so they send me to my

ridgement i am willing to go and try and do my duty thair and if the Rebs hit me a gen all rite i will

thair i have ben home sence i left Washington i wish yo would see dockter blis and have him to send my

write and let me know how yo are geting a long and how the boys is gets a long tel them i am going to my

I immediately appealed to my lady friends and patriots in Philadelphia, and they have sent me on a fine

I have never had better health in my life, perhaps I can explain it to you.

My regards to them and hope they are out of Campbell Hospital. What became of poor Dick?

I have very little time tis true, yet I endeavor by writing rapidly to have time to keep up my correspondence

Have I not my hands full by the way you wish to know what Jones Hotel is.

I send my Photo and shall expect one of the Prince of Bohemia by return I will write in a few days.

My ambition points to this branch for myself I feel qualified for an inspector of Hospitals and I think

Give my kind regard to Amos [Herbert] and others of Campbell Hospital.

The Army of the Potomac "Oh my" what has to come of it I hope to hear of brilliant achievements in that

I would offer, as an illustration of my meaning, that, in times of peace, a slightly greater ratio of

If in his barouche, I can see from my window he does not alight, but sits in the vehicle, and Mr.

"Shining Shores," also called "My Days are Swiftly Gliding By," was written by David Nelson in 1835,

My days are swiftly gliding by, and I a Pilgrim stranger, Would not detain them as I fly, those hours

We'll gird our loins my brethren dear, our distant home discerning.

The sounds and scene altogether had made an indelible impression on my memory.

.; "Shining Shores," also called "My Days are Swiftly Gliding By," was written by David Nelson in 1835

We are soon to see a thing accomplished here which I have often exercised my mind about, namely, the

Not at all, to my eye.

many respects of our constructive nation and age, and even so poetical, that I have even balanced in my

When a train comes to a bad spot in the road this Captain reins in his horse and stands there till they

I find this everywhere, and very pleasing to my sight.

Upon a few of these hospitals I have been almost daily calling as a missionary, on my own account, for

On recurring to my note-book, I am puzzled which cases to select to illustrate the average of these young

They have taken up my principal time and labor for some months past.

I always carry some, cut up in small plugs, in my pocket.

I thought I would include in my letter a few cases of soldiers, especially interesting, out of my note-book

, but I find my story has already been spun out to sufficient length.

Nor do I find it ended by my doing some good to the sick and dying soldiers.

give even a mere resume of the movements, service, fights, marches, sufferings of the 51st since, as my

He likes his position of Captain of Company G, in which rank he started from Palace Garden; and the men

Captain George Washington Whitman was Walt Whitman's younger brother by ten years and was wounded in

A letter from his Captain says: Five of our color guard had either been killed or disabled, when Byram

.; Captain George Washington Whitman was Walt Whitman's younger brother by ten years and was wounded

You will easily recognize the article—I enclose you my address—write me a line about it, at your leisure

magnetism human relations are capable of—I have told you how young & how American they mostly are—so on my

them suffering & dying—Doctor to the other friends that assisted me in Boston & to yourself, I send my

Jim is dissatisfied unless I write pretty often, whether there is any thing to write about or not—My

to heal so that he can sit up, & then gradually move about, & so in due time be able to travel— So, my

friend, farewell for present, & I pray that God may be with you, & though we are strangers I send my

I thank you, dear sir, in their name, and in my own, as the organ of your charity.

My friend, I must meet you soon again.

Lane and Probasco, a pretty plain schedule of the manner of my outlays of the sums sent by them to the

Nothing definite appears to-day about the status or movements of the Army of the Potomac, but my guess

one of the putty nosed scoundrel's temporary fits of ugliness, but a deliberate thing meant for good, my

About my own concerns here—I must tell you dear brother, my general idea was, (and is) to make application

, one letter to Seward, and one to Chase, which I hope, (and though I have well learnt not to count my

Dear sister, You have heard of my fortunes and misfortunes of course, (through my letters to mother and

Since I laid my eyes on dear brother George, and saw him alive and well—and since I have spent a week

The weather is perfect—I have had that in my favor ever since leaving home—yesterday and to-day it is

I write this in the place where I have my lodging room, 394 L street, 4th door above 14th street.

My Brooklyn boys were John Lowery, shot at Fredericksburgh, and lost his left forearm, and Amos H.

Mother, when you or Jeff writes again, tell me if my papers & MSS are all right—I should be very sorry

ground is an inch and a half deep with snow—and it is snowing & drizzling—but I feel very independent in my

I have felt quite well of my deafness and cold in my head for four days or so, but it is back again bad

Dear mother, I wrote the above, in my room—I have now come down to Major Hapgood's office.

I find a good letter from one of my New York boys, (Fifth Avenue)—a young fellow named Hugo Fritsch,

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

Meantime I make about enough to pay my expenses by hacking on the press here, and copying in the paymasters

thing is favorable here, namely, pay for whatever one does is at a high rate—I have not yet presented my

letters to either Seward or Chase —I thought I would get my forces all in a body, and make one concentrated

Mother, I am quite in hopes George will get a furlough—may-be my expectations are unfounded, but I almost

On February 6, 1863, Jeff wrote: "I think I shall be able to carry through my little 'real estate' scheme

It is said the government purposes something of this kind—it will throw a good many captains & lieutenants

Mother, you tell him I sent him my love, and Nancy the same, and the dear little boys the same.

I find I have to restrain myself and keep my composure—I succeed pretty well.

Give my best respects to Dr. Ruggles.

3—I have been in my room all day, so far—shall have dinner in ½ an hour, and then down to Armory.

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

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

Dearest Mother, I am late with my letter this week—my poor, poor boys occupy my time very much—I go every

Dear brother, I wish you to say to Probasco & all the other young men on the Works, I send them my love

again—I myself do not give up Hooker yet— Dear mother, I should like to hear from Han, poor Han—I send my

I want Han to come home, from the bottom of my heart.

I have almost made up my mind to do what I can personally, & not seek assistance from others.

would take 10 cts I send in this letter & get me ten copies of the Eagle with it in—put in 5 more of my

Give my respects to Mr. & Mrs. Brown. Tell Jeff I am going to write to Mr.

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

Matty, I send you my best love, dear sister—how I wish I could be with you one or two good days.

Give him my love—& tell Mannahatta her Uncle Walt is living now among the sick soldiers.

Lane promised to "make an effort among my friends here to keep you supplied with funds all summer."

Cotrel, Nicholas Wyckoff, & Thomas Sullivan, for my poor men here in hospital.

My health, thank God, was never better—I feel strong & elastic—an obstinate cold & deafness some weeks

Richmond & Jeff Davis, by this short but tremendous little campaign, of 2d, 3d, 4th & 5th inst's, is in my

Love & thanks to you, dear friend, & to those who are aiding my boys.

I had certainly made up my mind that we should meet with partial success certainly, but it seems otherwise

I wrote to Han yesterday, (before I received this letter of Heyde's), I wrote a short letter of my own

new ones, I could not find any one to do them as I wear them, & it would have cost such a price—& so my

they were too thick & more still because they were worse gone in than any I ever yet wore I think in my

life, especially the trowsers—wearing my big boots had caused the inside of the legs just above the

same as what I always wear, (pants pretty full,) so upon the whole all looks unusually good for me, my

Mother, I have nothing particular to write about—I see & hear nothing but new & old cases of my poor

would literally sink & give up, if I did not pass a portion of the time with them—I have quite made up my

the way I shall put it in operation—you know, mother, it is to raise funds to enable me to continue my

everywhere & receive no pay — Dear, dear mother, I want much to see you & dear Matty too, I send you both [my

, to the Hospital, &c. but I could not bring myself to go again—when I meet black men or boys among my

wards of a hospital, & trying to give a word of cheer, if nothing else, to every one, then confining my

Mother, I am feeling very well these days—my head that was stopt up so & hard of hearing seems to be

hulls on—I go down to market sometimes of a morning & buy two or three quarts, for the folks I take my

little girl, (lost a fine boy about a year ago)—they have two rooms in the same house where I hire my

will have it so—that's the way it has gone on now over five months, & as I say they won't listen to my

insisted on going to market, (it is pleasant in the cool of the morning,) and getting the things, at my

Of the O'Connors, Jeff wrote on June 13, 1863: "I am real glad, my dear Walt, that you are among such

had it here, as I must have a trunk—but do not wish you to send it, until I send you word—I suppose my

partly scornful, or occasionally put a dry remark, which only adds fuel to the flame—I do not feel it in my

find that the deeper they go in with the draft, the more trouble it is likely to make—I have changed my

family, still I feel somewhat uneasy—about Jeff, if any one, as he is more around—I have had it much on my

have no doubt I shall make a few hundred dollars by the lectures I shall certainly commence soon, (for my

hospital missionary purposes & my own, for that purpose) & I could lend that am't to Jeff to pay it

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

Dear friend, I am going to write you to ask any friends you may be in communication with for aid for my

Then I select the most needy cases & devote my time & services much to them.

hospitals, nothing but the mere hard routine, no time for tenderness or extras)—So I go round—Some of my

My brave young American soldiers—now for so many months I have gone around among them, where they lie

too near to each other, there is no time to lose, & death & anguish dissipate ceremony here between my

letter from Bloom yesterday—but, before responding to it (which I will do soon) I must write to you, my

Every day or night I spend four, five, or six hours, among my sick, wounded, prostrate boys.

Some of my boys get well, some die.

, good stock, often mere boys, full of sweetness & heroism—often they seem very near to me, even as my

I make no bones of petting them just as if they were—have long given up formalities & reserves in my

My honest thanks to you, Hugo, for your letter posting me up not only about yourself but about my dear

When I went up to my room that night towards 11 I took a seat by the open window in the splendid soft

moonlit night, and, there alone by myself, (as is my custom sometimes under such circumstances), I devoted

Fred's room, so pleasant, with its effect I remember of pictures, fine color, &c. to have the delight of my

"My own greatest pleasure at Pfaff's was to look on—to see, talk little, absorb," Whitman observed to

continues so—yesterday & last night was the hottest—still I slept sound, have good ventilation through my

when I woke up, a thing I never remember to have happened to me before, for I was not disturbed in my

own breakfast in my room & my dinner at a restaurant—I have a little spirit lamp, & always have a capital

on my hand, nor had any dressing for the last five days—Mother, I hope you get along with the heat,

it came right, & give him the men's thanks & my love— Mother, have you heard any thing from Han?

some of those battles—I get thinking about it sometimes, & it works upon me so I have to stop & turn my

get them—I sent them & another paper to George—Mother, you none of you ever mention whether you get my

would take away your appetite I know—Mother, I have some idea Han is getting some better, it is only my

idea somehow—I hope it is so from the bottom of my heart—did you hear from Mary's Fanny since?

them, for grandmother will perhaps leave them to you in her will, if you behave like a lady—Matty, my

On October 1, 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.

mother, how are you nowadays—I do hope you feel well & in good spirits—I think about you every day of my

see women in the hospitals, mothers come to see their sons, & occasionally one that makes me think of my

dear mother—one did very much, a lady about 60, from Pennsylvania, come to see her son, a Captain, very

as it was that time that my hand was cut in the artery, & I was liable to gangrene myself—but she and

breakfast in my room in the morning myself, & dinner at a restaurant about 3 o'clock—I get along very

I was glad you gave Emma Price my direction here, I should like to hear from Mrs Price & her girls first

got along better than I would have thought, but the last week I have felt it more, have felt it in my

head a little—I no more stir without my umbrella, in the day time, than I would without my boots.

I am afraid of the sun affecting my head, & move pretty cautious—Mother, I think every day, I wonder

I send you my love, dear mother, & to all, & wish Jeff & you to write as often as you can— Walt Whitman

by the window in Major Hapgood's office—all the Potomac & Maryland & Virginia hills in sight—writing my

shall send him some papers to-day—I send papers quite often—(why hasn't Jeff sent me the Union with my

are well—I have rec'd another letter from Mrs Price, she has not good health, I am sorry for her from my

Mary's mother-in-law, wrote to Whitman from Farmingdale, Long Island, on September 25: "I have raiced my

tender heart, & your goodness to those wounded & dying young men—for they have grown to seem to me as my

$5 from Mr Lane had miscarried—this morning when I came down to Major Hapgood's office I found it on my

Mother, what to do about Andrew I hardly know—as it is I feel about as much pity for you as I do for my

cheerfully I would give them, whether they availed any thing for Andrew or not—yet I have long made up my

all do what we can for Andrew—Mother, I think I must try to come home for a month—I have not given up my

Well, dear mother, I must close—I am first rate in health, so much better than a month & two mo's ago—my

ought to be," but attributed the condition to his mother's frugality: "I have not the least doubt in my

see if they would reach you—I was very much disappointed when I went to Armory that evening to find my

Thuey, did you take the envelope you had with my address?

you need not mind ceremony—there is no need of ceremony between dear friends for that I hope we are, my

together again—good by, dear boy, from your true friend— Thuey, I enclose an envelope but will write my

be afraid, my darling comrade—it is little, but it may be some use—Thuey, you write to me just as you

Washington September 15 1863 Dear Mother Your letters were very acceptable—one came just as I was putting my

unionists I have met in the hospitals, wounded or sick—one young man I guess I have mentioned to you in my

must have been a giant in health, but now he is weaker, has a cough too)—Mother, can you wonder at my

mother, I have writ quite a letter—it is between 2 & 3 o'clock—I am in Major Hapgood's all alone—from my

at 4 o'clock at a Mr Boyle's —I am going—(hope we shall have something good)—dear Mother, I send you my