CHAPTER VI. 
LETTERS TO DARWIN AND OTHERS. 
1860-1868. 
As before stated, Dr. Gray’s letters to Dr. Darwin 
previous to 1862 have been destroyed, save the one 
dated January 28, 1860, which was published in Dar- 
win’s “ Life and Letters,” and is here reproduced for 
the convenience of the reader, as well as Dr. Gray’s 
letter of January 5, 1860, to Dr. Joseph D. Hooker, 
also published in Darwin’s “ Life and Letters.” The 
original letters to Darwin later than 1862 have been 
more or less injured, apparently by the ravages of 
mice, so that in copying them it has sometimes been 
necessary to supply missing words. Where these are 
not obvious, the supposed words are enclosed in 
brackets. 
The letters in this chapter also include the period 
of the civil war; into which, as they show, Dr. Gray 
threw himself with all his earnestness. He helped as 
far as he was able in every way. A company of the 
men who were too old or otherwise incapacitated from 
going to the front was enlisted in Cambridge to guard 
the State Arsenal there, and also to be ready to be 
summoned in any emergency; and he joined the ranks 
and was faithful in the drilling and every duty to 
which they were called. It is hard to realize, in these 
days, how all the community worked together in all 
possible ways ; it was the business of life. 
