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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.

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16 June 1863

Roberts, Benjamin Stone, 1810-1875

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Titcomb Sprague

Brigadier General Roberts writes to Sprague, Adjutant General for the State of New York. Remarks that he recently passed through Ilion, New York, where he experimented with improved shot for rifle guns. Asks Sprague to "send a commission of artillery officers to that place to witness further trials & to report to you their opinion of my shot." Notes that other artillery officers, including General William F. Barry, Chief of Artillery, report in the favour of the improved shot, and that the Army is too occupied to order an ordnance board to assess the shot. Notes, "The Remingtons will…

GLC02464.15

10 October circa 1863

Sedgwick, John, 1813-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Andrew Atkinson Humphreys

Year inferred from content. General Sedgwick writes to Humphreys as "Maj Genl Humphries Chief of Staff." Discusses the position of heavy artillery at [Piney?] Mountain. Notes that General Wright (possibly Horatio Wright) will examine the artillery.

GLC02464.16.01

9 April 1863

Smith, William Farrar, 1824-1903

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Titcomb Sprague

Major General Smith recommends Lieutenant Martin of the 5th New York Artillery, who seeks promotion. Remarks that Martin served under him for eighteen months.

GLC02464.17

circa 1864-1865

Terry, Alfred Howe, 1827-1890

Autograph letter signed

Title: to General Godfrey Weitzel

Notes that he recently received a telegram from General Joseph Hawley. Writes, "The troops are all returning. I hardly think that they will be ready to disembark before to-morrow morning. Hawley asks to have the wagons belonging to the troops go down to meet them." Contains a "Copied" War Records stamp on verso. Docketed in pencil. Written at Fort Monroe.

GLC02464.18

15 September 1861

Williams, Seth, 1822-1866

Autograph letter signed

Title: to George A. McCall

Major Williams, assistant adjutant general, replies to a dispatch from Brigadier General McCall. Remarks that it would be impracticable to relieve McCall's regiment at Great Falls, Maryland with a regiment in Smith's brigade.

GLC02464.20

1861-1893

Header Record

Title: Union generals born in NYS: 34 letters and documents [decimalized]

[decimalized 02465.01-02465.35]

GLC02465

25 June 1863

Averell, William W., 1832-1900

Autograph letter signed

Title: to L. J. Cist

Written in Grafton, possibly West Virginia. Brigadier General Averell replies to a note from Cist, collector of autographs for United States Sanitary Fairs. Recalls his Civil War service, including 2nd Lieutenant, 3rd U.S. Cavalry; Acting Assistant Adjutant General to General Andrew Porter during First Bull Run; Colonel 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry; and Brigadier General of Volunteers 26 September 1862."

GLC02465.02

25 April 1862

Barlow, Francis Channing, 1834-1896

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Edwin Denison Morgan

Written before Yorktown. Barlow writes as Lieutenant Colonel, 61st Regiment, New York Volunteers. Informs Morgan, Governor of New York, that by an order of the War department, that the resignation of Henry A. Gates, 2nd Lieutenant of Company G, was accepted 17 April 1862. Requests to appoint Cornelius Haggart to fill the vacancy caused by Gates's resignation as soon as possible.

GLC02465.03

27 July 1862

Butterfield, Daniel, 1831-1901

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Frederick Thomas Locke

Written during the Peninsula Campaign. Brigadier General Butterfield informs Captain Locke that verbal notice has been given for his command to move. Discusses the allocation of tents. Notes that his command has received Sibley tents. On the verso of the letter are lengthy autograph endorsements signed by Brigadier General George Webb Morell (1815-1883) and Major General Fitz-John Porter.

GLC02465.05

19 July 1862

Couch, Darius Nash, 1822-1897

Autograph letter signed

Title: to the Adjutant General for the State of New York

Brigadier General Couch writes to New York's Adjutant General (possibly John Titcomb Sprague or Thomas Hillhouse). Recommends Captain James Walsh of the 36th Regiment New York Volunteers for the position of Colonel or Lieutenant Colonel to Sprague and the Governor of New York (Edwin D. Morgan). Writes, "It is almost presuming for me unknown as I am to the Governor to make this recommendation- but the regiment has been under my command nearly a year and therefor know something of its condition- At the battle of Fair Oak Capt Walsh was the ruling spirit in the regiment." Goes on to praise…

GLC02465.07

23 February 1863

Doubleday, Abner, 1819-1893

Autograph letter signed

Title: to whom it may concern

Brigadier General Doubleday, commander of the 3rd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, recommends Lieutenant Benjamin J. Marten, Aide-de-Camp, for promotion in his regiment. Notes that Marten has been "with me in the Battles of Gainesville Bull Run South Mountain Antietam and Fredericksburg. He is a brave and capable officer, fearless by nature and ready for any enterprise to which he may be called by the patriotic needs of the day." Written on Headquarters, 3rd Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac stationery.

GLC02465.08

29 April 1861

Duryée, Abram, 1815-1890

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Adjutant General Read

Duryee, Colonel of the 5th Regiment, New York Infantry, informs Adjutant General Read that he has appointed Dr. Gordon Winslow as chaplain on his staff. Requests a commission for Winslow (to be sent to Fort Schuyler). Possibly created at Fort Scuhyler, New York.

GLC02465.09

23 April 1861

Ellsworth, E. E. (Elmer Ephraim), 1837-1861

Document signed

Title: [Receipt for 12 camp baskets]

Partially printed. Day of purchase is illegible; possibly 23 April. Colonel Ellsworth purchased the baskets from Baldwin & Johnston, successors to Picot & Shotwell. Written across printed text, Baldwin & Johnston note receipt of payment.

GLC02465.10

6 April 1864

Gibbs, Alfred, 1823-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Ancient-Asparow grass

Docket indicates that this letter was written in Culpepper, Virginia. Replies to a letter from recipient (Asparow grass is possibly an alias for Fred S. [Cozzens?] whom he calls "Sparrowgrass"). Gives Sparrowgrass detailed and somewhat secretive instructions for traveling to Culpepper.

GLC02465.11

27 August 1862

Gibbs, Alfred, 1823-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Thomas Hillhouse

Colonel Gibbs commanding Fort Wayne, writes to Hillhouse, Adjutant General in Albany, New York. Reports, "Having received official information from the War Department that my exchange has been effected, and that I am free to go to duty, I... offer my services to his Excellency the Governor of the State of New York- my native State- in command of a regiment. It will perhaps be remembered that I was commissioned as Colonel of the 8th Regt N.Y. Vol. Cavalry, which I was unable to accept while a prisoner of War on parole." Written at Fort Wayne.

GLC02465.12

4 September circa 1862

Granger, Gordon, 1822-1876

Autograph letter signed

Title: to General Hamilton

Informs Hamilton that General William S. Rosecrans is in Rienzi, and had hoped to see Hamilton at Jacinto, Mississippi earlier that day, but had urgent business which detained him. Writes, "He is very anxious to see you & requests you to come over At once if possible..." If indeed written in 1862, possibly written to Charles Smith Hamilton or Schuyler Hamilton.

GLC02465.13

1864/05/30

Hartsuff, George L., 1830-1874

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Major E. O. Braun re: orders

Says "Here you are deceived again, This is my orders you say or thought - I wrote you [freely?] yesterday about my situation, prospects & about seeing the horses...." Written at the Metropolitan Hotel.

GLC02465.14

1862/06/22

Kearny, Philip, 1815-1862

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Col. Anderson re: a skirmish

Location name is illegible

GLC02465.16

1 August 1864

Parkhurst, John G., 1824-1906

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William Denison Whipple

Colonel Parkhurst describes the Battle of Brown's Mill (30-31 July 1864). Informs Union General Whipple that Colonel "James P. Brownlow has just come in here with a very few straggling cavalry entirely demoralized. Brownlow is barefooted. He reports that our cavalry destroyed the West Point and Macon Railroad to such an extent that it will require fifteen days to repair it, that they burnt 500 wagons including Hoods and Hardees..." (John Bell Hood and William Joseph Hardee). Writes that Union General Edward McCook's division was attacked by Confederate Generals John Herbert Kelly and…

GLC02465.17

1862/11/03

Peck, John J., 1821-1878

Autograph letter signed

Title: to E. L. Crete? re: discharging a man, capturing supplies & home guard men

GLC02465.19

1865/03/18

Schofield, John McAllister, 1831-1906

Autograph note signed

Title: to Langdon Cheves Easton

General Schofield sends a message, at the direction of General Sherman's quarter master, Brevet Major General Langdon Cheves Easton (1814-1884). He requests "100,000 suits of clothing."

GLC02465.20