Feinberg/Whitman Box 10 Folder 3 General Correspondence Fox, Elijah Douglass Nov. 21, 1863Brooklyn Saturday night Nov 21, '63 Dear son & comrade, I wrote a few lines about five days ago & sent on to Armory Square, but as I have not heard from it [th the letter] I suppose [I take] you have gone on to Michigan. [Dear boy] I got your letter of Nov 10th & it gave me [deepest] much comfort. [Dear boy] Douglass I shall return to Washington about the 24th, so [you] when you write direct to [me] care of Major Hapgood, paymaster USA, Washington D.C - Dearest comrade [Douglass] I only write this lest the one I wrote [you about] five days ago may not reach you from the hospital. I am still here at my mother's, & feel as if have had enough of going around New York - enough of amusements, suppers, drinking, & what is called pleasure- - Dearest son[boy]: it would be more pleasure [to] if we could be together just in quiet, in some plain way of living, with some good employment & reasonable income, where I could have you often with me, than allthe dissipations & amusements of this great city - O I hope [we can] [make] things may work so that we can yet have each other's society - for I cannot bear the thought of being separated from you - I [believe] know I am a great fool about such things but I tell you the truth dear son, [I have not almost every] I do not [I] think [not] one night has passed in New York or Brooklyn when I have been at [your] [the] [any the] theatre or opera or afterward to some supper party or carouse made by the young fellows for me, but what amid the [performance] play or the singing, I would perhaps suddenly think of you, - & the same at the [gay] gayest supper party of men where all was fun & noise & [pr] laughing & drinking, of a dozen young men & I among them I would see your face before me in my thoughts as I have seen it so often there in ward G, & [my supper] my amusement or drink would be all turned to nothing, & I would [think] realize how happy [I] it would be if I could leave all the fun & noise & the crowd & be with you - I don't wish to disparage my dear friends & acquaintances here there are so many of them & all so good, many so educated, traveled, &c. some so handsome & witty, some rich &c. some among the literary class - many young men - all good - [You must not be offended if] many of them [I say much more of what the world] [calls] educated & polished, [those] & brilliant in conversation, &c [than] [you my one dear you], my dear [comrade] son - [but] & I thought I valued their society & friendship - & I do, for it is worth valuing - But Douglass, I will tell you the truth. you [seem] are so much closer to me than any of them that there is no comparison - [but] there has never passed so much between them & me as we have [you] besides - there is something [deeper than] [better that] takes down all artificial accomplishments, & that is a manly & loving soul - my dearest comrade, I am sitting here writing to you very late at night - I have been reading - it is indeed[just] after 12, & my mother & all the rest have [long since] gone to bed two hours ago, & I am here alone writing to you, & I enjoy it too, although [I] it is not much [either], yet I know is will please you dear boy, [for it] - If you get this you must write & tell me where & how you are. I hope you are quite well & with your dear wife, for I know you have long wished to be with her, & I wish you to give her my best respects & love too, Douglass I haven't written any news, for there is nothing particular I have to write. Well it is now past midnight, [over 15 minutes] pretty well on to I oclock - & my sheet is most written out. - so My dear darling [comrade] boy, I must bid you good night, or rather good morning & I hope it may be God's will we shall get to be with each other [my dear loving boy] - but I must indeed bid you good night my dear [darling son & comrade] loving comrade, & [may] the blessing of God [be] on you by night & day my darling boy.[*see notes Sept. 22 & 25 1888*] to Elijah Fox Postage Kalamazoo co. Mich Sent Nov 27 '63WALT WHITMAN AUTOGRAPH LETTERS 1863 Nov. 21 WHITMAN, WALT, to Elijah Douglass Fox Brooklyn, A.L. Draft, endorsed by W.W. p. C.W.W., No.98 FEINBERG COLLECTION OF WALT WHITMAN