Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Eckstein, Frederick (fl. 1814) to Robert M. Patterson

High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02978.20 Author/Creator: Eckstein, Frederick (fl. 1814) Place Written: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 20 November 1814 Pagination: 3 p. : address ; 36 x 23.5 cm. Order a Copy

Quotes from Patterson's explanation of why his name was omitted from the list of persons on the volunteer association of field engineers organized by Philadelphia's Committee of Defence (see GLC027978.19) and seeks further explanation. Provides a detailed description of his service and how he learned he had been dismissed. Notes that he left Europe because he admired the Constitution and asserts that he owes "it to my Country, to my family, to myself, not to suffer my rights to be torn from me with impunity."

Robert M. Patterson was a professor of natural and experimental philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania, and was the chief engineer of the Corps of Field Engineers. Jonathan Williams was the chairman of the Committee of Defence.

Eckstein, Frederick, fl. 1814
Patterson, Robert M. (Robert Maskell)., 1787-1854

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources