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I wish each to be told my remembrance (or to see this letter if convenient).

positions & ideas in your Westminster article—and radiating from the central point of assumption of my

I would say that (as you of course see) the spine or verteber principle of my book is a model or ideal

(And I want my friends, indeed, when writing for publication about my poetry, to present its gay-heartedness

And now, my dear friend, I must close.

to-day to be what you are, than to be him, with his $10,000 a year—poor thin-livered cuss that he is— My

It is now Thursday afternoon, between 3 and 4—& I am writing this in my room in Portland av.

Pete, one month of my leave exactly is up to-day.

On my way back, I went up in the pilot house & sailed across the river three times—a fine breeze blowing

Then home—took a bath—ate my dinner—& here I am all alone, most stript stripped , taking things as cool

I work several hours a day keeping things straight among the printers & founders, on my books.

bells are slowly ringing—Otherwise it is pretty quiet—The last two hours I have been up here reading my

Nash & your cousin, & all, I send them my best respects—Also Henry Hurt —also Andy Woolridge on 7th st

Dear Pete, Well here I am home again with my mother, writing to you from Brooklyn once more.

New York to visit the lady I went down to the ferry with—so you see I am quite a lady's man again in my

old days—There is nothing special to write about—I am feeling in first-rate spirits, & eat my rations

to-day—a stiff breeze blowing & the smell of the salt sea blowing up, (sweeter than any perfume to my

Pete—& I wont be so long again writing to my darling boy.

As I am now sitting in my room & have no desire to go to bed yet, I will commence another.

Give my best respects to George Smith —also to Pensey Bell & his brother George —also to Mr.

Shedd —and in fact to all my railroad friends, whenever they inquire after me— Dear son, I can almost

about the heavenly bodies—& in the midst of it I look around & find you fast asleep, & your head on my

shoulder like a chunk of wood—an awful compliment to my lecturing powers.

while said this morning—"Why Walt you are fatter & saucier than ever"— but I will close by sending my

love, to my darling son—& to him I shall always be the same old Walt.

Pete, you say my sickness must be worse than I described in my letters—& ask me to write precisely how

Yesterday I thought I felt as strong & well as ever in my life—in fact real young & jolly.

It is now towards 3—Mother & I have just had our dinner, (my mammy's own cooking mostly.)

Pete, the fourth week of my vacation is most ended. I shall return the middle of next week.

Give my love to Johnny Lee —let him read this letter, & then return it to you.

There is nothing new or special in my affairs or doings.

My folks all continue well—mother first rate, & brothers ditto. I do not have such good luck.

I have taken three or four of my favorite rides on Broadway.

I believe I described them to you in my letters a year ago.

Tell Johnny Lee I send him my love, & hope he is well & hearty. I think of him daily.

I have thought of you, my darling boy, very much of the time.

I have not been out of the house since the first day after my arrival.

of, insulting to you, never for one moment in my thoughts.)

Dear Pete, dear son, my darling boy, my young & loving brother, don't let the devil put such thoughts

I will write again before long—give my love to Johnny Lee, my dear darling boy, I love him truly—(let

Dear son, I am sitting here in my room home, alone—it is snowing hard & heavy outside, & cold & wintry

—I have attended to the bringing out the new edition of my book, but as the plates were all ready before

fire—here now I am not like I am in Washington—you would laugh to see me hovering over the fire)— —My

I am now in the eighth week of my furlough—it is seven weeks last Tuesday night since we parted there

add only a few words, in order to put it in the mail this evening—I am working a while every day at my

printing yet—but I go around considerable—still go out in the bay—& enjoy myself among my friends here

find myself now far more for the French than I ever was for the Prussians — Then I propose to take my

It is likely that this will shorten my leave, & that I shall have to come back & do my work myself, about

I don't write, I thought I would send a few lines—they would be better than nothing— God bless you, my

Ned Stewarts Stewart's —When you write tell Ned I am here in Brooklyn, loafing around—& that I send my

fine—warm through the middle of the day, & cool mornings & nights— I fall in with quite a good many of my

you & me—no women in the house—he is single—he wants me to make my home there—I shall not do that, but

that night—My dear loving boy, how much I want to see you—it seems a long while—I have rec'd a good

loving son, & give my respects to any of the boys that ask about me.

the hot weather, & especially since I left Washington—so I read & write as little as possible, beyond my

printing matters, &c—as that occupies several hours, & tires my eyes sometimes.

distinction however—I admire & love the French, & France as a nation—of all foreign nations, she has my

is—to say nothing—only a good smacking kiss, & many of them—& taking in return many, many, many, from my

Milburn, or any of the railroad boys, or other friends that may inquire after me, that I send them my

best respects—not forgetting my friends Mr. & Mrs.

every thing lovely—It will not be long now before I shall be back—Till then, take care of yourself, my

car, 50 cts extra—plenty of room & a very easy riding car—thought while I was sitting up here now in my

yesterday afternoon & evening—took a ride up & down Broadway—am now laying off & taking it easy in my

just as natural into habits of doing nothing—lie on the sofa & read the papers—come up punctually to my

it for Sunday—I am feeling well & enjoying myself doing nothing, spending a great deal of time with my

will write you a few lines as I sit here, on a clump of sand by the sea shore—having some paper in my

splendid swim & souse in the surf—the waves are slowly rolling in, with a hoarse roar that is music to my

send it, as I can get along otherwise — I am doing very well, both in health & business prospects here—my

see that you too are jogging along about the same, on your car, with an occasional let up—Often in my

Dear Son, I am sitting here in my room, having just eat a hearty dinner with my mammy , (who has this

month entered on her 76th year, but to my eyes looks young & handsome yet.)

c—he has one fault, & a bad one—that is he will drink, & spree it—which spoils all—True it is none of my

would give it up, & find his pleasure in some other way—Pete, should you see Allen again, give him my

Brooklyn, Friday, July 14. 1867 or '8 Dear Pete, It is pretty much the same with me, as when I wrote my

former letters—still home here with my mother, not busy at any thing particular but taking a good deal

letters that every thing goes on right with you on the road—give my best regards to my friends among

the drivers & conductors—Dear son, I shall now soon be coming back, & we will be together again, as my

Love to you, my dearest boy, & good bye for this time Walt.

Received from Thomas Donaldson Ten Dollars for books— Walt Whitman Dear TD I am here imprison'd yet in my

I have a copy of my big 900 Vol.

I send you my love—& to Charley the same—Mention how Charley's young one is getting along— I will now

bid you good bye for this time, my loving friend, & God bless you, dear comrade, & keep you all right

I will write a line to No. 6, & will speak to the other boys in my next.

Oct 2 Dear boy and Comrade You say it is a pleasure to you to get my letters—well, boy, it is a real

write to you—I just write off-hand, whatever comes up, and, as I said before, mostly about myself & my

Dear Pete, with all my kind friends here & invitations, &c., though I love them all, & gratefully reciprocate

Take care of yourself, & God bless you, my loving comrade. I will write again soon.

I already begin to think about my return to Washington. A month has nearly passed away.

Then about the Broadway drivers, nearly all of them are my personal friends.

So I try to put in something in my letters to give you an idea of how I pass part of my time, & what

which it is my present plan to do the ensuing winter at my leisure in Washington.

I send you my love, & so long for the present. Yours for life, dear Pete, (& death the same).

I thought I would just drop you a line for yourself—but no doubt you keep fully posted about me by my

letters to Pete, as I am willing you or any of my particular friends who wish to, should read them.

afternoon—altogether they make up a show that I can richly spend a month in enjoying—for a change from my

Thompson, conductor, you would say I sent him my love, & have not forgot him.

I wish you to tell John Towers, conductor, I sent him my love, & we will see each other again one of

Simpson My dear Sir: I have been absent in New York & Brooklyn & only returned three days ago.

At present, I can only say that if you are going into publishing & if you feel like taking hold of my

My address is at this office.

…One of my reasons for securing your friendship is my appreciation for you as a man, with knowing your

My dear loving boy, I wish things were situated so you could be with me, & we could be together for a

I must put something to you better than that in my letter.

So I will cheer my boy [&] tell you again, Benton, that I love you dearly, & always keep you in mind,

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

1867 letter, Wilson acknowledged Walt 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

As to me & my fortunes I am in pretty good health, thank God—& I am working in the Attorney General's

I send you my love, dear friend & soldier, & I hope this will find you well in health & in good spirits

next to Lewis Brown's in Armory Square Hospital in 1862 and 1863, and recalled Walt Whitman's visits: "My

In reply to your note of some days since, in reference to acting as my agent, for sale of "Leaves of

Nothing very new or different in my affairs.

here in Atty Gens office—same posish position —have good health—expect to bring out new editions of my

books before very long—how is the little boy—I send my love to him, & to your wife & parents.

wrote but then deleted: "O if we could only be together now even if only Dear Boy, dear, dear friend, my

In 1888 Walt Whitman commented to Horace Traubel about this letter: "I can't live some of my old letters

Please accept my respects to editor & house—with thanks to yourself for promptness.

reached me, I have to say that I accept the proposal made in it respecting your English publication of my

that you have the privilege of selling that publication in the United States, on payment to me, or my

My book has never been really published here at all & the market is in a sort vacant of supplies.

Accept my thanks for the William Blake .

And now, my dear sir, please accept with my trust in the success of the enterprise my kindest respects

I should like to know who wrote the piece in the Morning Star —it flushed my friends & myself too, like

Rossetti to whom, meantime, please offer my friendliest, truest regards.

My dear mother is living & well; we speak of you. I wish you to give my best respects & love to Mr.

I shall have to try a head of him presently for my American Gallery: Emerson, Thoreau, and Walt" (The

Routledge In my note of January 17 last, sending "Whispers of Heavenly Death," I included a request for

If agreeable therefore, please request the New York house to send by express, at my expense, thirty copies

of the "Broadway" containing the piece, to my address, Attorney Gen's office, here.

My dear Edmund Yates, Pardon me for my forgetfulness about the pictures.

Walt Whitman My address here is Solicitor's Office, Treasury , and shall always be happy to hear from

If you see him, tell him I have not forgot him, but send him my love, & will be back in Washington again

Sent May 9—'68 My dear Charles Hine, I received with gladness the authentic sign & proof that you are

Believe me, my friend, I have not forgotten you, nor your old kindness & friendliness. Also Mrs.

In the meantime, I send you by same mail as this a copy of my last edition, also a little book, written

Burroughs, (a second Thoreau,) and a newspaper, with letter —the book & letter all about my precious

General's office—have a pleasant berth, moderate pay, but sufficient— I am well, weight nearly 200, & eat my

…My dear old friend, I love you."

I suppose you got my second letter last Wednesday.

I put down off hand, & write all about myself & my doings, &c. because I suppose that will be really

what my dear comrade wants most to hear, while we are separated.

I am doing a little literary work, according as I feel in the mood—composing on my books.

Among the pilots are some of my particular friends—when I see them up in the pilot house on my way to

Washington March 24, '68 My dear Mr.

conversation between us a few days since, allow me in candor to say, that I should decidedly prefer to retain my

Record Clerk, the duties of which I feel that I can fulfil properly—& that I would therefore, as far as my

Browning's part, would I deem it my duty to waive the preference mentioned, & obey your commands.

— I expect to return in about two weeks—I am writing this here in the kitchen home,—I have deserted my

cakes for breakfast—sometimes I fry them myself—I wish you could just be here & eat breakfast—I think my

mammy makes the best coffee in the world, & buckwheats ditto—mince-pies ditto— —My new edition looks

the best yet—it is from the same plates as the last, only in One Vol. bound handsomely in green cloth—my

books sent to England by to-morrow's steamer—Dear son, I send my best love, as always.

Y. on a visit to my mother, but I am now back here again, and am well as usual, and working in the same

There is nothing very new in my affairs.

—it is quite pleasant—mostly young people, full of life & gayety—then I go to my work at 9, & leave at

I wish you to give my love to your father & mother. They do not seem at all like strangers to me.

And now Alfred I must bid you farewell for the present, my loving boy & comrade.

Camden Oct 26, '87 early P M —have just had my dinner, (plain boil'd beef, potatoes & a roast apple—all

relish'd well) & am now sitting here in my big chair in the little front room —Cold & cloudy out—looks

fuller details)—The Pall Mall Gaz. letter you speak of appears to have erased a sentence or two (showing my

of home helpers) —but even as it is I hope it doesn't bear the construction you speak of—I enclose my

been real pleasant—I have been out most of the time—It is now between 4 and 5—I am writing this up in my

room home—am going out, & over to New York this evening—nothing special to write about— Pete, my darling

My dear Conway, I send the accompanying article in hopes you can do me the favor to dispose of it to

compliance with request in your name in letter from George Routledge & Sons, New York, of December 28th & my

For my own convenience & to insure correctness I have had the MS. put in type, & thus transmit it to

It is to be distinctly understood that I reserve the right to print it in any future editions of my book

Hoping success to the Magazine, & that my piece may be found acceptable for it, I remain Respectfully

&c yours, Walt Whitman My address is at Attorney General's Office, Washington City, U.S.A.

My address is Attorney Gen's office, this city.

would (I quote) like to keep & use an original poem—three-page poem—sent him from me, but demurs to my

I repeat, that I distinctly reserve the right of printing the piece in a future edition of my poems.

My address is at the Attorney General's office here. (New York house, please forward this to Mr.