Remembrance Copy.

TO

From

PERSONAL--NOTE.

Dear Friend :

I do not hesitate to briefly precede your Remembrance-
Copy with some biographical facts of myself, I know you will like to have-
also, to bind in, for your eye and thought, the little Portraits that follow*.

I was born May 31, 1819, in my father's farm-house, at West Hills, L. I., New York State. My parents' folks mostly farmers and sailors-on my father's side, of English-on my mother's, (Van Velsor's,) from Hollandie immigration.

We moved to Brooklyn while I was still a little one in
frocks—and there in B. I grew up out of the frocks—then, as child and boy,
went to the public schools—then to work in a printing office.†

When only sixteen or seventeen years old, and for two
years afterward, I went to teaching country schools down in Queens and
Suffolk counties, Long Island, and “boarded round.” Then, returning to
New York, worked as printer and writer, (with an occasional shy at
“poetry.”)

* The picture in shirt-sleeves was daguerreotyped from life, one hot day in August, 1855, by my friend Gabriel Harrison, in Fulton St., Brooklyn—and here drawn on steel by McRae—(was a very faithful and characteristic like-ness at the time.) The head that follows was photographed from life, Washington, 1872, by Geo. C. Potter, here drawn on wood by W. J. Linton.

† There was, first and last, a large family of children; (I was the second.) Besides those mentioned above, were my elder brother Jesse, my dear sister Mary, my brother Andrew, and then my youngest brother Edward, (always badly crippled—as I now am of late years.)

PERSONAL—NOTE.

1848-59.—About this time went off on a leisurely journey and working expedition (my brother Jeff with me.) through all the Middle States, and down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Lived a while in New Orleans, and worked there. After a time, plodded back northward, up the Mississippi, the Missouri, &c., and around to, and by way of, the great lakes, Michigan, Huron and Erie, to Niagara falls and lower Canada—finally returning through Central New York, and down the Hudson.

1851-54.—Occupied in house-building in Brooklyn. (For a little of the first part of that time in printing a daily and weekly paper.)

1855.—Lost my dear father, this year, by death.... Commenced putting *Leaves of Grass* to press, for good—after many MS. doings and undoings—(I had great trouble in leaving out the stock “poetical” touches—but succeeded at last.)

1862.—In December of this year went down to the field of War in Virginia. My brother George, reported badly wounded, in the Fredericksburgh fight. (For 1863 and '64, see my *Memoranda* following.)

1865 to '71.—Had a place as clerk (till '74) in the Attorney General's Office, Washington.

(New York and Brooklyn seem more like home, as I was born near, and brought up in them, and lived, man and boy, for 30 years. But I lived some years in Washington, and have visited most of the Western and Eastern cities.)

1872.—Took a two months' trip through the New England States, up the Connecticut valley, Vermont, the Adirondack region—and to Burlington, to see my dear sister Hannah once more. Returning, had a pleasant day-trip down Lake Champlain—and, the next day, down the Hudson.

1873.—This year lost, by death, my dear, dear mother— and, just before, my sister Martha—(the two best and sweetest women I have ever seen or known, or ever expect to see.)

Same year, paralyzed. Quit work at Washington, and moved to Camden, New Jersey—where I now (April, 1876) write these lines.

W. W.