Monday, October 22, 2012

annotation revised in a Civil War letter from Thomas Jefferson Whitman

Per Wesley Raabe's suggestion, the third annotation in Thomas Jefferson Whitman's 4 June 1865 letter has been revised from

"As Jeff indicates, this was not the first time some of these children had contributed to Whitman's hospital work. On January 26, 1863, Moses Lane sent Whitman $15.20, including five cents from Willie Durkee and fifteen cents from Miss Kate Lane. Moses Lane commented that these contributors were the only ones "thus far that will have to deny themselves anything" on account of their gifts. Crany may have sent Whitman money in 1863 and 1864 (see Jeff's letters to Walt from April 3, 1863 and March 11, 1864)."

to

"These surnames also appear in the postscript to Walt Whitman's "The Great Washington Hospitals: Life Among Fifty Thousand Sick Soldiers.—Cases of Brooklyn Men" (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, March 19, 1863: 2). One of the children, Kate Lane, is the daughter of Moses E. Lane. A second is Willie Durkee, presumably the son of the man listed as "E. R. Durkee" in Whitman's postscript. The child of Charles E. Crary ("Crany" in Jeff's letter) has not been identified. As Jeff indicates, this was not the first time some of these children had contributed to Whitman's hospital work. On January 26, 1863, Moses Lane sent Whitman $15.20, including five cents from Willie Durkee and fifteen cents from Miss Kate Lane. Moses Lane commented that these contributors were the only ones "thus far that will have to deny themselves anything" on account of their gifts. Crany may have sent Whitman money in 1863 and 1864 (see Jeff's letters to Walt from April 3, 1863 and March 11, 1864)."

~Janel

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