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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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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?

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.

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

, 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

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