What was Walt whitmans connection to the civil war?

Walt Whitman served as a volunteer nurse in Washington D.C. during the Civil War, tending to wounded soldiers in Union hospitals. He also wrote poems and prose pieces that reflected his experiences and observations during the war, capturing the human cost and trauma of the conflict. Whitman's work during the war, particularly his collection of poems titled "Drum-Taps," solidified his reputation as a poet who sought to explore the complexities of the American experience.