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Forest Hill April 19/61 My Dear Walt.

True I might not prove strong enough for much hard work but I could fire my gun once and die, for my

My dear Walt I am not yet conquered .

I have everything external to crush me and stinging poverty to freeze my heart, but my day is coming

God bless you my dear man.

My Dear Whitman,— Don't you thik think it would be well for you to give me a line to Prof.

Dowden, telling him that you have read the bibliography of my forthcoming book, and that you think you

I am afraid they will be but dilatory in taking hold of the matter on my request alone,.

For my part, I dislike to ask anyone for to serve as go-between, but you seemed to think it would be

My roses are superb; have pitched a tent in my yard. Aff. Affectionately W. S. Kennedy.

& my works' future—the backward & contemporary reference.

less evidences of gradual physical deterioration —but spirits good—appetite &c fair—& you know I begin my

70th year now in ab't two months—thank God indeed that things are as well as they are & that I & my

fortunes (literary & otherwise) are—Rainy & dark & raw here all day—I was out yesterday four hours to my

friends the Harneds —was taken & bro't back in my phæton —a lull in my Herald contributions —I send

compliments" been off my table.

Literature," and then with my beautiful mother's death, my reckless son's divorce, and other Orestean

You know I am one of those who have the privilege of sharing my scrip with you, my dear elder bard, when

something that is my own to share.

My table is covered with letters I can't get time & strength to answer.

Dear Walt I am going to try and write you a few lines this morning, but you must overlook my poor composition

also my writing, for I am very weak and my mind is not as it was before I was sun stroke .

My Sister and also my friends are very anxious to see and to read your Leaves of Grass and I hope they

able to be proped up in bed and able to write to my true friend and comrade.

My Sister Mary says when I go back to war she shall write to you.

As I approached my nineteenth year, my uncle, who was an honest and worthy man, evidently felt that he

money, which I felt sure he must have cramped himself to bestow on me, I made my adieus to my aunt and

sorrowful cousins, and went my way.

city where I was to take up my abode.

Yes, here I had come to seek my fortune!

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.

My dear Walt: I posted you six copies of the last circular this afternoon; I think that John Fraser has

Colles, then goes on to say something appreciative of my dear mother's Essays; wch which pleased and

You will be pleased to hear that I have got over my worries in connection with the contract for my Book

To create a small literary monument to my mother & this such an one should be clothed in pretty dress

With best love and remembrances to my dear old loving Walt Herbert H. Gilchrist.

Whitman referred to Rossetti's edition as a "horrible dismemberment of my book" in his August 12, 1871

WHILE my wife at my side lies slumbering, and the wars are over long, And my head on the pillow rests

at home, and the mys- tic mystic midnight passes, And through the stillness, through the dark, I hear

, just hear, the breath of my infant, There in the room, as I wake from sleep, this vision presses upon

with eager calls, and orders of officers; While from some distant part of the field the wind wafts to my

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

My situation is rather a pleasant one.

There are many peculiarities in New Orleans that I shall jot down at my leisure in these pages.

My health was most capital; I frequently thought indeed that I felt better than ever before in my life

After changing my boarding house, Jef. and I were, take it altogether, pretty comfortable.

My own pride was touched—and I met their conduct with equal haughtiness on my part.

NOT heaving from my ribbed breast only, Not in sighs at night, in rage, dissatisfied with myself, Not

in those long-drawn, ill-suppressed sighs, Not in many an oath and promise broken, Not in my wilful

savage soul's volition, Not in the subtle nourishment of the air, Not in this beating and pounding at my

sleep, Nor the other murmurs of these incredible dreams of every day, Nor in the limbs and senses of my

O pulse of my life! Need I that you exist and show yourself, any more than in these songs.

Brooklyn Tuesday even'g July 5 1864 My dear friend I have had the misfortune to fall back a little since

same as if written to her—I do not write much, nor do any thing hardly, but keep as quiet as possible—my

physician thinks that time, with the change of locality, & my own latent recuperative power, will make

I intend to move heaven & earth to publish my "Drum-Taps" as soon as I am able to go around.

love—also Ashton—I will write should there be any change in my condition— Good bye for present, my dear

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

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

Dear William O'Connor: I was very ill after my arrival here—& made worse by the heat—but have recovered

Mother is well, & sends her love to you all—mother asked a great deal about Nelly, and also about Jenny— My

Price—but shall begin to explore, this week—& will report in my next— Dear Nelly, I had an unusually

my love— William, do you see how Mrs.

My address is 101 Portland av. opp. Arsenal Brooklyn, New York.

do I not see my love fluttering out among the breakers?

Loud I call to you, my love!

who I am, my love.

Hither my love! Here I am! here!

But my mate no more, no more with me! We two together no more.

do I not see my love fluttering out among the breakers?

Loud I call to you, my love!

who I am, my love.

Hither my love! Here I am! here!

But my mate no more, no more with me! We two together no more.

don't say my say for me in the most conclusive way.

I am doing my job in my way: it don't suit them: they growl, curse, ridicule: but what is left for Walt

I have loved you for years with my whole heart and soul.

And yet I am a writer and make a living by my pen.

I am proud of my feeling for you.

In his March 9, 1892, letter to Traubel, Greenhalgh wrote that "Walt has taught me 'the glory of my daily

In all the departments of my life Walt entered with his loving personality & I am never alone" (Horace

Whitman, late in life, said to Horace Traubel: "[I] take my Ruskin with some qualifications."

volumes of Horace Traubel's With Walt Whitman in Camden (various publishers: 1906–1996) and Whitman's "My

Think, oh my soul, devoutly think, How, with affrighted eyes, Thou saw'st the wide-extended deep In all

Yet then from all my griefs, on lord!

Thy mercy set me free; Whilst in the confidence of prayer My soul took hold on thee.

My life, if thou preserv'st my life, Thy sacrifice shall be, And death, if death must be my doom Shall

join my soul to thee.

I am still here at Washington—every thing much the same in my condition as when you made your brief visit

here.— I continue well in health & good spirits—& as usual spend much more of my leisure in the open

I am very soon going on to New York to bring out a new edition of my poems—same as the copy you have,

—shall remain there until about 7 th of April—(my address there will be, 107 north Portland av.

I shall mail to you in a few days my latest piece, in a magazine.

WHEN I heard at the close of the day how my name had been receiv'd with plaudits in the capitol, still

it was not a happy night for me that fol- low'd follow'd ; And else, when I carous'd, or when my plans

ing undressing , bathed, laughing with the cool waters, and saw the sun rise, And when I thought how my

all that day my food nourish'd me more—and the beautiful day pass'd well, And the next came with equal

joy—and with the next, at evening, came my friend; And that night, while all was still, I heard the

WHEN I heard at the close of the day how my name had been receiv'd with plaudits in the capitol, still

it was not a happy night for me that follow'd, And else when I carous'd, or when my plans were accomplish'd

and undressing bathed, laughing with the cool waters, and saw the sun rise, And when I thought how my

dear friend my lover was on his way coming, O then I was happy, O then each breath tasted sweeter, and

all that day my food nourish'd me more, and the beautiful day pass'd well, And the next came with equal

WHEN I heard at the close of the day how my name had been receiv'd with plaudits in the capitol, still

it was not a happy night for me that fol- low follow'd ; And else, when I carous'd, or when my plans

ing undressing , bathed, laughing with the cool waters, and saw the sun rise, And when I thought how my

all that day my food nourish'd me more—and the beautiful day pass'd well, And the next came with equal

joy—and with the next, at evening, came my friend; And that night, while all was still, I heard the

WHEN I heard at the close of the day how my name had been received with plaudits in the capitol, still

it was not a happy night for me that fol- lowed followed ; And else, when I caroused, or when my plans

ing undressing , bathed, laughing with the cool waters, and saw the sun rise, And when I thought how my

all that day my food nourished me more—And the beautiful day passed well, And the next came with equal

joy—And with the next, at evening, came my friend; And that night, while all was still, I heard the

WHEN I heard at the close of the day how my name had been receiv'd with plaudits in the capitol, still

it was not a happy night for me that follow'd, And else when I carous'd, or when my plans were accomplish'd

and undressing bathed, laughing with the cool waters, and saw the sun rise, And when I thought how my

dear friend my lover was on his way coming, O then I was happy, O then each breath tasted sweeter, and

all that day my food nourish'd me more, and the beautiful day pass'd well, And the next came with equal

—She was as solemn and sour as the spinster, and upon my mentioning my business, gave me to understand

, but my friend of the day before, the antiquary.

What that may be, will depend a good deal upon my luck.

"I am determined to do my best.

I carefully deposited it in my breast pocket, and with a lighter step wended on to my new boarding-house

My dear Sir : I should like, if I can do so without impertinence, to send you my grateful thanks for

You have, through them, infused into my life and into the lives of many others, a fresher, healthier

I send you a paper which I read in October last in Warrington, Lancashire, and let my sincerity and enthusiasm

be my excuse for the utter inadequacy of treatment of a subject I both love and revere.

I remain, my dear sir, with grateful thanks, Thomas Tylston Greg.

My dear Sir, Some years ago when I had occasion to address you, you were so good as to say you should

be happy to hear from me again; and as my admiration of your works and interest in whatever concerns

you have rather strengthened than weakened, I feel sure you will not mind my asking one or two questions

As a faithful student of your books, I have made it my business to obtain every edition I could, and

When at my friend Mr W.B.

Whitman referred to Rossetti's edition as a "horrible dismemberment of my book" in his August 12, 1871

And to think my dearest brother you have been out. it It is wonderful good news to me.

I am trying to clean house, Walt dear, I do it all myself, but I take my time I have to.

—my carpets are all taken up down stairs downstairs (done cleaning up stairs upstairs glad to be able

to work even my way) Ime I'm slow enough, but do pretty well glad to stop a little while to write a

will you give my love to them, please.

My dear comrade, I have been very sick, and have been brought on home nearly three weeks ago, after being

sick some ten days in Washington—The doctors say my sickness is from having too deeply imbibed poison

into my system from the hospitals—I had spells of deathly faintness, & the disease also attacked my

as soon as I had strength—But I am making too long a story of it—I thought only to write you a line—My

dear comrade, I am now over the worst of it & have been getting better the last three days—my brother

I never think of you but it makes my heart glad to think that I have bin permited to know one so good

This man (whose frame, as I afterward found, was no mean type of the generous heart within) came to my

bed, sat down, & after some talk with me wrote a letter to my parents in Michigan.

This act secured my gratitude & we became intimately acquainted & close friends—Being furloughed in July

an ugly bullet hole through my left lung that time finding a lodgment at Armory Sqr.

My friend was still in Washington, we met, & our intimacy was renewed and again abruptly broken off in

My dear Conway, Your letter of February 1st has just come to hand. I am willing that Mr.

I wish to send my sincerest thanks & personal regards to Mr. Rossetti.

To have had my book, & my cause, fall into his hands, in London, in the way they have, I consider one

Remember my request to Mr.

I feel prepared in advance to render my cordial & admirant respect to Mr.

take great pleasure in writing to you again, and in giving you some of the particular in regard to my

health, limb situation, &c My health at present is very good—better than at any time since I left the

troubled me of any account have worn my artificial nearly all the time since the winter of –'64.

dist) threw me out of my position as doortender.

my not writing let them lay it to my inabilities instead of my inclination Waiting to hear from you

last yawp, which (the review) you were frank enough to print in your last issue, emboldens me to speak my

Last Winter I got on skates, my first appearance before an icy audience for fifteen years.

U. is the poet of my concern, her suggestion to that effect was a strong point in favor of Mr.

s fondness for poetry doesn't at all interfere with the clearness of my café noir, the lightness of my

with my lordly prerogative.

My dear father-confessor, I feel a strong desire to be clasped closer to yr your breast, to know my friend

—Well, there, my eye lights on my memorandum of it.

I have not time to copy out my translation. affec. as always W.S.

I offer my congratulations in advance.

that item about my reading proofs) before I give him the MS.

life, my thoughts, my feelings, my views— my self in fact, in every way, you seem to have permeated

my whole being.

My friend Mrs.

It is good to have my love for you then rounded by knowing you, and finding my feeling and thought about

Jeannie sends much love to you, so does my sister Jeannie.

STARTING NEWSPAPERS (ANOTHER ACCOUNT) Reminiscences —( From the "Camden Courier." )—As I sat taking my

As I cross'd leisurely for an hour in the pleasant night-scene, my young friend's words brought up quite

How it made my heart double-beat to see my piece on the pretty white paper, in nice type.

My first real venture was the "Long Islander," in my own beautiful town of Huntington, in 1839.

I enjoy'd my journey and Louisiana life much.

The O'Connor home was my home: they were beyond all others—William, Nelly—my understanders, my lovers

Take my darling dear mother: my dear, dear mother: she and I—oh!

oh my, hardly the Leaves!

general: they were my unvarying partisans, my unshakable lovers—my espousers: William, Nelly: William

so like a great doing out of the eternal—a withering blast to my enemies, a cooling zephyr to my friends

Apl 18 1876 My dear sir Enclosed please find Money order for Five of 100 Dollars for a copy of Two Rivulets

, which please send to my address & to my name This subscription is from a lady client of mine yours

Seeger Since writing my note I have secured the promise of one subscription & possibly with it 2 more

In my copy, would solicit the pleasure of having your autograph signature on fly leaf.

Rose on my entrance. Today I got from Ferguson revised proofs reaching to page fifty-six.

"I told Mary to tell him my head was too sore.

He took my hand.

I shall (as I see now) continue to be my own publisher and bookseller.

Each book has my autograph. The Two Volumes are my complete works, $10 the set."

"My own fancy, Evans," he answered, "my own whim, perhaps. But we are not strangers.

I shall give his story in my own words.

My constitution, notwithstanding the heavy draughts made upon its powers by my youthful dissipations,

I allude to my old friend, Colby.

My country relations were not forgotten by me in my good fortune.

My best help however has come in my old age & paralysis from the Br: Islands.

into fiction of a very little amt of fact—in spirit it is altogether, & in letter mainly untrue (abt my

My income from my books, (royalties &c.) does not reach $100 a year.

I am now in my 69th year—living plainly but very comfortably in a little wooden cottage of my own, good

Best thanks and love to all my British helpers, readers & defenders. Walt Whitman to William T.

I took my lamp, and went my way to my room.

I stopped and leaned my back against the fence, with my face turned toward the white marble stones a

; and answered, "My husband's."

She looked at me for a minute, as if in wonder at my perverseness; and then answered as before, "My husband's

my open hands and thought.

have of late frequently come to me times when I do not dread the grave—when I could lie down, and pass my

Clausen ) my poems "Leaves of Grass"—and little prose work "Democratic Vistas"—also a piece I recited

My verse strains its every nerve to arouse, brace, dilate, excite to the love & realization of health

Meanwhile, abroad, my book & myself have had a welcome quite dazzling.

Freilegrath Freiligrath translates & commends my poems.

For all, accept my friendliest good wishes. Direct Walt Whitman Washington, D. C.

Clausen, termed in Schmidt's letter "my old friend and countryman," corresponded with Schmidt after he

My dear Mr.

Whitman I am trying my best to make up for the loss of my collection of Autographs a year or two since

me with yours and anything you can spare either Literary, Musical or dramatic and confer a favour on My

My address in Brooklyn is 132 Pacific St. I shall be here all this week.

I felt of my hatchet's edge—it was keen as my hate.

my sorrowful cousins, and went my way.

Wife of my youth! of my early youth!

All my cruelty—all my former love—all my guilt—all my disregard of the sacred ties—seemed concentrated

My deeds were as good as my word.

Among temperance novels then quite popular were Lucius Manley Sargent's My Mother's Gold Ring (1833),

W. said, "I am looking forward to my friends—to have them read all these pieces: there's a new flavor

These two months I am up and as strong as ever.I am now quite used to my new situation, and my opinion

In this way I secured my "bread and butter" and, now, can set to my intellectual task; I can read, write

The question comes up in my mind whether they have the Ingersoll pamphlets yet—any of them."

It will be my last—my last! I haven't the least doubt of it now."

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 wont you, for my love for you is hardly less than my love for my natural parent

I think my papers will be in tomorrow certain.

I shall start as soon as my papers come.

My love to you and now Dear Father good by for the present.

, and he walked with me toward my residence.

—My slumbers were deep and unbroken.

As I took my departure from the place, who should I see in front, with a quill behind his ear, but my

My mistake in regard to the fashionable gentleman , had taught me a lesson, and my country life had taught

I pass over my stares of wonder, and my running aslant dungeon walls, castles, and canvas palaces.

SCENTED HERBAGE OF MY BREAST.

O blossoms of my blood!

WHAT THINK YOU I TAKE MY PEN IN HAND? WHAT think you I take my pen in hand to record?

MY LIKENESS! EARTH! my likeness!

That Shadow, my Likeness.

My dear Dan Gilette, Your kind letter—with that of your English friend Chrissie Deschamps, (so full of

It seems to be a fluctuating & pretty stout struggle between my general physique & constitution, & my

My best regards & love to you, my friend, & to my English friends the same.