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Title: Letter from Charles Wilson Harris to John C. Otto, June 1, 1796: Electronic Edition.
Author: Harris, Charles Wilson, 1771-1804
Funding from the University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill supported the electronic publication of this title.
Text transcribed by Sarah Ficke
Images scanned by Bari Helms
Text encoded by Sarah Ficke
First Edition, 2005
Size of electronic edition: ca. 10K
Publisher: The University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
2005
The electronic edition is a part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill digital library, Documenting the American South.
Languages used in the text: English
Revision history:
2005-08-08, Sarah Ficke finished TEI/XML encoding.
Source(s):
Title of collection: Charles Wilson Harris Letters (#315), Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Title of document: Letter from Charles Wilson Harris to John C. Otto, June 1, 1796
Author: Chas. W. Harris
Description: 4 pages, 4 page images
Note: Call number 315 (Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Editorial practices
The text has been encoded using the recommendations for Level 5 of the TEI in Libraries Guidelines.
Originals are in the Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Original grammar, punctuation, and spelling have been preserved.
Page images can be viewed and compared in parallel with the text.
Any hyphens occurring in line breaks have been removed, and the trailing part of a word has been joined to the preceding line.
Letters, words and passages marked as deleted or added in originals have been encoded accordingly.
All quotation marks, em dashes and ampersand have been transcribed as entity references.
All double right and left quotation marks are encoded as ".
All single right and left quotation marks are encoded as '.
All em dashes are encoded as —.
Indentation in lines has not been preserved.

For more information about transcription and other editorial decisions, see the section Editorial Practices.
Letter from Charles Wilson Harris to John C. Otto, June 1, 1796
Harris, Charles Wilson, 1771-1804



Page 1
University June 1st. 1796.

Dr Friend

In your last letter you expressed some uncertainty respecting the place in which you would attempt the practice of Physic. This, in a great measure prevented me from writing as often as I could wish. You see by my address that I am still a teacher tho' much against my inclination. It is difficult in this illiterate part of the United States to procure any person that is able and willing to undertake the arduous task of instructing. I continue in my present situation because the trustees

Page 2
cannot procure any person to perform the duties of my office. I earnestly desire to be engaged in some professional business in the world. One of my motives for writing at this time was to receive some information of Mr Caldwell who graduated one year before us & spoke the first Salutatory Oration. I have heard that he has been employed in teaching ever since he left College — if he is not yet permanently settled, and has no objection against removing farther south I make no doubt but he may be placed in a situation in this state altogether agreeable.

Page 3
I must beg leave to trouble you in this affair & request that you would by post give me any information concerning his place of abode; employment &c, which you may think necessary. Or if you can let him know of the enquiries which I have made, it will be still a greater favor.
The University contains 37 students. The employment which I would relinquish to Mr Caldwell if he would agreeable to the trustees is the Professorship of Mathematics & Natural Philosophy worth at present more than 500 Dol. per Ann. & in time to come will be more valuable.

I am your sincere friend,

Chas W. Harris

Dr. Jno C. Otto



Page 4
I mentioned Mr Caldwells name to the trustees. Write by the first post to Chapel-hill University of N. Carolina