The “Bloody Angle” is the name given to a piece of ground at the Spotsylvania Courthouse Battlefield on which some of the war’s most traumatizing hand-to-hand and muzzle-to-muzzle fighting took place in May 1864.  Whitman would certainly have encountered a number of those men damaged at the site.

I am indebted to Other Sam for drawing my attention to this very moving detail.  One of the best things I saw at the Library of Congress was Whitman’s letter of December 29, 1862 (that is, exactly 106 years before the day I was born), to his mother about finding George in Fredericksburg.  We were […]

I am indebted to Other Sam for drawing my attention to this very moving detail.  One of the best things I saw at the Library of Congress was Whitman’s letter of December 29, 1862 (that is, exactly 106 years before the day I was born), to his mother about finding George in Fredericksburg.  We were […]

I’ve mentioned this podcast from Nate DiMeo at the memory palace before.  I find it pretty poignant.  It’s about the Booth brothers, especially John Wilkes’ older brother Edwin.  Listen for a shout-out to Our Man Whitman [OMW]: Edwin Booth BOOST Here Edwin is looking pensive (or moping about his footwear): And here is a famous […]

I’ve mentioned this podcast from Nate DiMeo at the memory palace before.  I find it pretty poignant.  It’s about the Booth brothers, especially John Wilkes’ older brother Edwin.  Listen for a shout-out to Our Man Whitman [OMW]:
Edwin Booth BOOST
Here Edwin is looking pensive (or moping about his footwear):
And here is a famous photo we saw […]