Walt Whitman letter to Louisa Whitman, 2 February 1864

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 1864. DEAREST MOTHER

I am writing this by the side of the young man you asked about, Lewis Brown in Armory-square hospital. He is getting along very well indeed the amputation is healing up good, and he does not suffer anything like as much as he did. I see him every day. We have had real hot weather here, and for the last three days wet and rainy ; it is more like June than February. Mother, I wrote to Han last Saturday she must have got it yesterday. I have not heard anything from home since a week ago (your last letter). I suppose you got a letter from me Saturday last. I am well as usual. There has been several hundred sick soldiers brought in here yesterday. I have been around among them to-day all day it is enough to make me heartsick, the old times over again ; they are many of them mere wrecks, though young men (sickness is worse in some respects than wounds).

One boy about 16, from Portland, Maine, only came from home a month ago, a recruit ; he is here now very sick and down-hearted, poor child. He is a real country boy ; I think has consumption. He was only a week with his reg't. I sat with him a long time ; I saw [it] did him great food. I have been feeding some their dinners, t makes me feel quite proud, I find so frequently I can do with the men what no one else at all can, getting them to eat (some that will not touch their food otherwise, nor for anybody else) it is sometimes quite affecting, I can tell you. I found such a case to-day, a soldier with throat disease, very bad. I fed him quite a dinner ; the men, his comrades around, just stared in wonder, and one of them told me afterwards that he (the sick man) had not eat so much at a meal in three months. Mother, I shall have my hands pretty full now for a while write all about things home. WALT.

Lewis Brown says I must give you his love he says he knows he would like you if he should see you.