William T. Otto to Walt Whitman, 24 January 1865

About This Item

Title: William T. Otto to Walt Whitman, 24 January 1865
Date: January 24, 1865
Creator(s): William T. Otto | Horace Traubel
Whitman Archive ID: nyp.00220
Source: Oscar Lion Papers, 1914–1955, New York Public Library, New York, N.Y. The transcription presented here is derived from Horace Traubel, With Walt Whitman in Camden (New York: Mitchell Kennerley, 1914), 471. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the correspondence, see our statement of editorial policy.
Contributors to digital file: Elizabeth Lorang Kathryn Kruger Vanessa Steinroetter Eric Conrad
Cite this page: Otto, William T. and Horace Traubel. "William T. Otto to Walt Whitman, 24 January 1865." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 04 January 2025. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
Source File: nyp.00220.xml (TEI)

Department of the Interior,
Washington, D. C., January 24, 1865. Sir:

You are hereby appointed to a Clerkship of the first class—in the Office of Indian Affairs, of this Department—the salary of which is $1200 per annum, to commence when you have subscribed the enclosed oath, and entered upon duty. I am, Sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant

W. T. Otto,
Assistant Secretary.1

Walt Whitman, Esq.
of New York

Notes

1. William T. Otto (1816–1905) was Assistant Secretary of the Interior. William D. O'Connor had arranged an interview for Whitman with Otto for a clerk position in the Bureau of Indian Affairs. See O'Connor's December 30, 1864, and Otto's January 12, 1865, letter to Whitman. [back]