Walt Whitman: 1865 (07:41)

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Whitman worked full time at the Office of Indian Affairs and met Peter Doyle, his long-term partner. His family knew Whitman's partners. President Abraham Lincoln delivered his second Inaugural address; Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse.

Lincoln Assassination (09:45)

Doyle attended "Our American Cousin" and watched John Wilkes Booth shoot President Lincoln. Whitman wrote "O Captain! My Captain" and "When Lilacs Last in Doory'd Bloomed" in response. Edwin Booth saved the life of Robert Todd Lincoln.

Attorney General's Office (02:25)

James Harlan found a copy of "Leaves of Grass" and fired Whitman. William O'Connor wrote "The Good Grey Poet" and secured Whitman a position at the Pardon Office.

The Gilded Age (03:42)

"Democratic Vistas" examined the corruption that ran rampant during President Grant's administration. James A. Garfield and Whitman were good friends.

Calamity (02:37)

Whitman spent his evenings at the solicitor's office because his boarding house room was poorly heated. After he suffered a stroke, Whitman relearned how to walk.

Camden (04:49)

After Louisa Whitman died, Whitman moved in with his brother and family. "Prayer of Columbus" examined the poet's struggle with health issues. "O Me! O Life!" reflected Whitman's feelings about the continuation of life.

Timber Creek (04:28)

Whitman visited the centennial expedition to celebrate the signing of The Declaration of Independence. "Specimen Days" examined how the poet healed while spending time in the country.

Anne Gilchrist (05:18)

The widow with four children wrote "A Woman's Estimate of Walt Whitman." Whitman attempted to rebuke her advances, but she set sail for Philadelphia. "Going Somewhere" examined their enduring friendship.

Whitman's Health (02:05)

Whitman's time at Timber Creek was nourishing. He felt well enough to travel to Denver and visited his friend Dr. Maurice F. Bucke in Canada.

Banned in Boston (07:14)

After James Osgood and Company published "Leaves of Grass," the district attorney insisted that some passages were obscene. Whitman rejected the list and purchased a small house on Mickle Street for himself, Oscar Wilde, Thomas Eakins, and Bram Stoker.

Whitman's Final Years (06:55)

Horace Traubel became Whitman's biographer. Mark Twain wrote a letter about all the innovations that occurred during the poet's lifetime. Thomas Edison recorded Whitman reading "America." The final edition of "Leaves of Grass" was published with 389 poems.

Credits: Part Three: The Civil War and Beyond (1865-1892) (02:31)

Credits: Part Three: The Civil War and Beyond (1865-1892)