Topic > 19th Century Events in Whitman's Life

In 1862, Walt arrived in Washington DC where he intended to stay for a few days. He ended up staying for the next 10 years. He became a regular visitor to military hospitals in the first 3 years he was there. He wanted to bring cheer and company to the soldiers who are confined to their beds. Whitman personally visited hospitals up to 600 times and spoke to 100,000 soldiers during his visit. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayEvents that occurred between 1862 and 1865Walt's brother had been wounded in the army during this time. Although he was not seriously injured, visiting hospitals at that time left a profound impression on him that forced him to move from Brooklyn to Washington. Walt in the year 1863 took a job to work with the government as a hospital orderly. During this period he wrote the book "The Great Army of the Sick". Upon returning from Washington, he fell ill and returned to Brooklyn for treatment only to find that his friends had died in the war and others were in the army. wounded hospitals. Evidence of the change in the state of war; As he watched dozens of “poor sick, pale, ragged soldiers” climb five flights of stairs in search of back pay that didn't always arrive. Many of the men had been honorably discharged from the Army, but without money to return home they were stuck in hospitals and convalescent camps, surrounded by sick and dying comrades. Some were reduced to living on the streets. The war had already changed from a civil war to a labor war, which he had no idea about during his service as a nurse. In the moments when he served in the war prison, he fell ill and was forced to return home. When he returned he found his friends dead, others wounded in the war and hospitalized in military hospitals. He said he had suffered during the war and his words were a relief from his suffering. Walt Whitman's Experience During the War During the war season, Walt had a lot of experience as a soldier and also as a Christian ambassador. He felt empathy towards wounded soldiers in the Civil War, where he was forced to bring some treats to the patient while visiting hospitals. The pain and empathy he felt when his brother was wounded during the war was so much to bear that he was forced to flee from Brooklyn to Washington. Please note: this is just an example. Get Custom Paper Now From Our Expert Writers .Get Custom EssayDuring his occasional visits to the hospital, he was so touched by the fact that young and brave soldiers had died and others had been injured due to the labor war. He believed that the American people were so patriotic towards their nation. For Whitman, the war was therapy as he saw people dying, which made him change his life to Christianity.