ALS signed “O. W. Holmes,” two pages both sides, 4.5 x 7, January 15, 1864. In part: "When I wrote 'To Canaan' I sent it to Fields, who advised me to print it in the Transcript, which I was glad to do as I thought the piece would be timely and might be useful. I asked…the Editor to keep quiet about the authorship as I had a fancy for seeing whether the poem would have any luck as a foundling. He printed it with a slight puff of his own introducing it. By and by General Oliver set it to music—but I found that he had been ignorant of its authorship…I did not think much more of it until I saw it 'Anonymous' in your collection…At any rate it was in a collection I saw at Ticknor's that I found my enfant trouve had been adopted. There was one expression in the poem that I thought might stick—namely of the iron-skin brigades. I liked it so well that I repeated it in my 4th of July Oration." In fine condition, with closely trimmed edges.Format: ALS