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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.

Fuller, Franklin W. (fl. 1861-1865) to Mary

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03523.42.24 Author/Creator: Fuller, Franklin W. (fl. 1861-1865) Place Written: Manchester, Tennessee Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 29 June 1863 Pagination: 4 p. : envelope ; 20.5 x 25 cm. Order a Copy

Written at camp near Manchester, Tennessee. Writes that their most recent march was very bad because of the poor conditions of the roads. It rained so hard for two days that the men were completely soaked. Writes that the troops had to throw away everything they had because the rain had spoiled it. He was the only one who kept his knapsack because it had his paper and writing supplies. Writes that the case containing the picture of Mary and Laura is ruined but the pictures are not damaged. He gave his diary to Lieutenant Warner to carry or else that would have been ruined as well. His feet are very sore but other then that he is feeling well. He thinks they are on their way to Tullahoma, Tennessee. Stops writing the letter in order to pitch a tent. Writes that the tent offers little comfort as it is raining hard again. Thinks that if the American Revolution tried men's souls this war must surely also. He tells her that he had to burn all of her letters as he could not carry them because they were expected to engage the enemy.

Franklin W. Fuller from Howard, Illinois enlisted on 14 August 1862 as a Sergeant. He mustered into the I Company of the Illinois 74th Infantry on 4 September 1862. He was mustered out on 10 June 1865 in Nashville, Tennessee.

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