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My dear Whitman, I received this morning from an old friend (Mr.

"One doubt nauseous undulating like a snake, crawl'd on the ground before me, Continually preceding my

and near, (rousing, even in dreams, a devilish exultation, and all the old mad joy, in the depths of my

Dec. 2, 1866 My dear Whitman: I find your book and cordial letter, on returning home from a lecturing

I have had the first edition of your Leaves of Grass among my books, since its first appearance, and

frankly, that there are two things in it which I find nowhere else in literature, though I find them in my

There is not one word of your large and beautiful sympathy for men, which I cannot take into my own heart

I say these things, not in the way of praise, but because I know from my own experience that correct

Nov. 12, 1866 My dear Sir: I send to you by the same mail which takes this note, a copy of my last poem

The age is over-squeamish, and, for my part, I prefer the honest nude to the suggestive half-draped.

received one letter from you but when I wrote again I received no answer and supposed you had not received my

correspondents for I would really like to hear from you very much for I formed an attachment for you during my

My Friend Hamilton started for Leavenworth Kansas last week to see his Brother, who has been jammed up

I am a married man but I am not happy for my disposition is not right.

On April 21, Wilson acknowledged Whitman's reply of April 12: "I do not want you to misunderstand my

motives in writing to you of my Situation & feelings as I did in my last letter or else I shall have

to be more guarded in my letters to you.

I wrote so because you wanted me to write how I was situated, and give you my mind without reserve, and

A few days ago I picked up a paper through my Friend Hamilton containing an article regarding Walt Whitman

I would like very much to read your works for I have heard my Father speak a few days ago of your Leaves

I must draw my letter to a close for this time, and hope I shall hear from you soon again.

earth, she cried—I charge you, lose not my sons!

’d; And you trees, down in your roots, to bequeath to all future trees, My dead absorb—my young men’s

coffin that slowly passes, I give you my sprig of lilac.

And how shall I deck my song for the large sweet soul that has gone?

And what shall my perfume be, for the grave of him I love?

"Song of my Cid" is an epic poem of the mid-12th century and the earliest surviving work of Spanish literature

My days I sing, and lands Lands —with interstice I knew of hapless war War .

Inflating my throat—you, divine average!

Open mouth of my , uttering gladness, Eyes of my , seeing perfection, Natural life of me, faithfully

How long have I been a stranger to this foreign land in which I have wandered—foreign, and yet within my

If she brought a half loaf of bread to my house, she took butter or tea away in return for it, and I

Nothing of me, or of the future to arise for me, out of my labour, and progressions.

My idea was, that, if I did go to Europe, "to let her board, in the most comfortable manner, and raise

of Bascom 242 F Street stating that our testimony did not agree with the company rolls in regard to my

Clair my best wishes to you and Mrs.

Mr Abbot offered to assist me if necessary if he is there perhaps he can use his influence in my favour

When last in the dooryard the lilacs bloomed [sic]," "Chanting the Square Deific," and "As I lay with my

You will make the same disposition of these arms as was indicated to you, in a former case, in my letter

Leese's recommendations for the office of Marshal. 4th; My acceptance of Mr.

I have now to say that your resignation is accepted,—& I feel bound to add that my confidence in your

of your friend Hatcher to the notice of the President to-day, & that he gave a favorable response to my

Upon a careful consideration of this opinion, I adhere to the position expressed in my letter to you

course by which it can be set at rest, & this is, by instituting prosecution, as I have advised in my

Grass were now in the possession of Horace Wentworth, a Boston publisher, whom Thayer characterized as "My

I do not know what they cost, but my impression is, that it was somewhere in the neighborhood of $800

Walt Whitman, My Dear friend Your kind favor of the 11th inst came duly to hand, and was followed next

Accept of my thanks for both it was more certainly than I could expect from a comparative stranger to

last "long roll" is called in which there will be no "missing" may we be found in the ranks of the Captain

While doing garrison duty with my regiment the 2nd New York Arty on the works South of the Potomac I

I left the regiment in the trenches in front of Petersburgh, my term of Service having expired, after

I stowed it away in my knapsack but loosing that I lost your gift.

Sir: My attention has been called by the Secretary of the Treasury to the probable fact of the custody

Louisville, Octo. 17 th 1866 My dear Mr Whitman; Herewith you will three dollars, the price of the copy

I have deeply regretted the fact, that I did not know your place to be temporary till after my resignation—I

I have been about sick with a cold on my lungs, and after my days work was done I did not feel like writing

I am going to give up my place the first of Ap r .

My health will not admit of it.

Often when my mind wanders back to the days that I spent in Armory Square, I can but cry.

My Hearts desire is that you may live a long and happy life and when you leave this Earth you may be

children is extremely well mat has has very much to doo do she is going to have a girl to work give my

his health had improved: "it is very healthy here this summer—I havn't been troubled by the heat yet—my

It is as follows:— "O captain! my captain!

Leave you not the little spot, Where on the deck my captain lies, Fallen cold and dead. "O captain!

my captain!

"My captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still; My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse

But I with silent tread, Walk the spot my captain lies, Fallen cold and dead."

My other item relates to one of whose merits as an author opinions differ widely.

"My days I sing, and the lands, with interstice I knew of hapless war.

Phantoms welcome, divine and tender, Invisible to the rest, henceforth become my companions; Follow me

Perfume therefore my chant, O Love! immortal Love!

For that we live, my brethren—that is the mission of Poets.

the sisters Death and Might, incessantly softly wash again, and ever again, this soil'd world. … For my

where he lies, white-faced and still in the coffin—I draw near; I bend down and touch lightly with my

Here it is copied from [the] volume before us:— O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN! O Captain! my Captain!

Leave you not the little spot, Where on the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead. O Captain!

my Captain!

My captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still, My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse

But I with mournful tread Walk the spot my Captain lies, Compare with this, for poetic or pathetic feeling

top of a hill, this house was difficult to heat, but as Louisa Van Velsor Whitman noted, "Jeffy makes my

Tell Charley that I have not forgotten him—I send him my love, & hope we may meet again one these days

fight—I carry an umbrella, and if the sun gets to fall on me good & strong, any of the real hot days, my

hear from Han, but I suppose she is getting along in the same old way—As I am writing this letter at my

how funny the world is governed—& lots of queer doings that outsiders never dream of— Well, mother, my

I have been absent on leave the past summer two months—went to New York—spent most of the time with my

Well, I keep about as stout as ever, and my face red & great beard just the same as when I used to see

you—I eat my rations every time, too—I am writing this in the office by a big window with a splendid

view of the Potomac & Arlington Heights—Well I find I must close—I send my love to you, darling boy,

Dear Hinton, The bearer, my friend, Mr.

My dear friend, Your contribution of $20 for the soldiers in hospital, sick or wounded, has been received

I wish you health, my friend, in body & in spirit. Farewell.

Jenks, My dear Sir, I have rec'd your note of 30th Nov. with $3.

Please accept my special acknowledgments.

But as I am not willing you should be the loser, in such a manner, I send you my book, by same mail with

If I hadn't got your letter of 23d, I should likely have written to you very soon, of my own accord,

I have been home in Brooklyn the last two months, to see my mother, & pay a visit to New York, &c. and

It is now a year ago since you sent it—you spoke in that letter of your parents—You must give my love

But I wonder whether we shall ever come together again, you & I, my loving soldier boy.

I send you my love, & must now bid you farewell for present, dear soldier boy.

I keep stout as ever, my face red and a great beard just the same.

I send my love to you, darling boy. Walt Whitman to a Soldier, early 1866

My dear Mr.

Wood, I write to solicit from you $2, for helping my soldier boys to some festivities these holiday &

Dwight, | My dear Sir, Your letter has come to hand, & I have to say in reply, that a new edition of

I hope your parents are well—I wish you to give them my love—tho' I don't know them, I hope to one of

I am writing this by my window in the office—the breeze is blowing moderate, and the view down the river

Well, my dear comrade, I believe I have told you all the news—of Eicholtz, the German sergeant with the

that as the sentence, on that comparatively mild 7th count, was a cruel & heavy one—& that, waiving my

My hospitals are dwindled down to a small force—but there are plenty of cases to occupy me a couple of

yet—Jeff, I wish I could now & then be home & see you all, even if was only a couple of hours— Give my

Lane, and the Doctor —I send my love to Mat & the little girls.

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

Mason, who "used to be in my party on the Water Works."

According to his letter to Jeff on January 30, 1865, Whitman wrote to "Captain" Mason the same day; on

be careful of yourselves—it is very healthy here this summer—I havn't been troubled by the heat yet—my

have half a dozen—so you see I am coming out—had quite a clearing out the other day, collected all my

duds & socks, & boots & slippers &c &c. into a great heap—and when Sally, our black girl, brought up my

em all off home—there was nothing but what was all give out, though— There is nothing new with me in my

much—I think he would find it pleasant to come here for a few days, even this season—Well, dear mother, my

Then I feel sure it tells the meaning better than any of the former editions—My enemies, & those who

agents before I return—I shall probably return about the 12th of September— When I arrived here, I found my

I doubt whether the article will be accepted in the Galaxy —don't know who edits it—I send my love to

same to Charles Eldridge —I hope to be able to write to Nelly —I wish you when you write to say I send my

And now for a while, my dear friend, Farewell. Walt. Walt Whitman to William D.