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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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11 April 1862

Meigs, Montgomery C. (Montgomery Cunningham), 1816-1892

Letter signed

Title: to C. L. Pascal

Written by Brigadier General Meigs as Quartermaster General of the Army. References Pascal's letter of 6 April 1862 that enclosed illustrations of his plan for sinking the CSS "Merrimac." Says they have been referred to the Secretary of the Navy. Written on letterhead of the Quartermaster General's Office. File includes a small (5.1 x 4.1 cm.) engraving of Meigs's head.

GLC07363

1900/11/10

Mosby, John S., 1833-1916

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Sam Houston re: information to be used in biography of Gov. John Letcher

Written in blue ink. (Water damage.)

GLC07346

19 September 1861

Lane, James Henry, 1814-1866

Broadside

Title: Proclamation to the People of Western Missouri, Now Occupied by the Kansas Brigade

Proclamation signed in print by Brigadier General Lane, who was also a U.S. Senator from Kansas (1861-1866). Proclamation was written by T.J. Anderson, Lieutenant of Engineers and Acting Assistant Adjutant General. Proclamation written in response to a group of Kansasans who armed and organized themselves. Lane says if they have simply armed to defend their property, then a quick understanding can be found. Says his unit was formed to protect Kansas from the rebels, not attack the worried property owners. Urges the population to put down arms and support the Union. Says "Should you,…

GLC07349

17 April 1847

Santa Anna, Antonio López de, 1794-1876

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Cosme Furlong [in Spanish]

Describes Battle of Cerro Gordo.

GLC07350

9 July 1826

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

Autograph letter signed

Title: to unknown

Monroe attempts to gather support for his claims for reimbursement of compensation owed for serving as United States Minister to Great Britain between 1803 and 1807, as well as performing other diplomatic duties in France. He encloses a pamphlet with related documents (not included) for his correspondent to read, and describes his claim, the interest owed, and the injustice that he has suffered by not receiving compensation. Congress awarded him $30,000 in 1831.

GLC07351

1866/03/31

Buchanan, James, 1791-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to [Moses Kelley] re: receiving payment on VA bonds bought prior to the War

GLC07353

circa 1850

Phillips, Wendell, 1811-1884

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Robert Adams

Informs Adams, possibly an underground railroad train conductor in Fall River, Massachusetts, that British abolitionist George Thompson will be coming next Friday, the 13th. Tells Adams to meet him and states, "..He is a stranger and will need a conductor." Says they have no tickets and will need to get them printed. Undated. Integral address leaf.

GLC07356.02

1 April 1854

Stith, C., fl. 1854

Autograph document signed

Title: [Receipt of sale for a slave]

Signed by Stith. Receipt for the sale of a "Negro Boy Richard about fifteen or sixteen years of age..." sold for $1,000 to James W. Goodman. Refers to Richard as "a slave for life."

GLC07356.03

1783/07/17

Laurens, Henry, 1724-1792

Letter signed

Title: to Robert R. Livingston re: receiving a request from Doctor Benjamin Franklin

Asks him to come to Paris to help finalize Treaty of Paris. (Mat burn at edges; possibly bleached.)

GLC07357

27 January 1831

Curtis, Samuel Ryan, 1805-1866

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry B. Curtis

Curtis, a future Union general, writes his older brother a long letter about his time at West Point, from which he graduated that year. Among the many plans and topics he comments on is the prejudice at the military academy of the "Yankee Staff toward the South and Westerners."

GLC07358

23 January 1865

Davis, Jefferson, 1808-1889

Manuscript document signed

Title: [Document to Senate vetoing Confederate Congress Act allowing congressional appointments of midshipmen]

A document from Davis to the Confederate Senate, in which he explains his reasons for considering the act, which would allow the House, Senate, and President to select midshipmen, unconstitutional because it will infringe on the president's sole authority to make such appointments. Claims that the act is "repugnant to the whole theory of our Republican Institutions, which are based on the fundamental idea of independent and distinct functions in each of the departments of government." Parses the language of the act in relation to the Confederate Constitution.

GLC07359

21 August 1864

Lee, Robert E., 1807-1870

Autograph document signed

Title: to James A. Seddon

Handwritten telegram on which Robert E. Lee informs Secretary of War Seddon about Lt. Gen. A.P. Hill's attack against Federal troops in the Battle of Weldon Railroad (Globe Tavern) during the Petersburg campaign.: "The enemy abandoned last evg. his position north of James River & returned to the south side. This morg. Genl Hill attacked his position on Weldon R.R. - drove him from his advanced lines to his main entrenchments, from which he was not dislodged. Over 300 prisoners exclusive of wounded were captured. Our loss was principally in Hagood's brigade, which mounted enemys…

GLC07360

18 September 1862

Lee, Robert E., 1807-1870

Letter

Title: to Jefferson Davis

Charles Marshall's (1830-1902) copy containing the substance of a letter from Robert E. Lee to Jefferson Davis regarding battle of Antietam. Writer inferred from handwriting. Recounts major events of the battle and states that at the end of the day "Our Army occupied the same line it had held before the Battle. The enemy I believe do the same. I have again to report the loss of many brave men."

GLC07362

1790/06/19

Newspaper

Title: Gazette of the United States. [Vol. 2, no.20 (June 19, 1790)]

Whole no. 124. re: Notice of Rhode Island's ratification of the Constitution; Washington's letter to Hebrew Congregation of Savannah; etc.

GLC07270

circa July 1865

Wirz, Henry, 1823-1865

Autograph note

Title: to Richard B. Winder

Wirz seeks information to implicate "the authorities at Richmond" on conditions at Andersonville, suggesting that he is being prosecuted so that "the big men, such as Cooper Seddon, Jeff Davis" can be prosecuted. Indicates that providing such information "I think it will save me, at any rate you." Passed to Winder's nearby prison cell, with Winder's unsigned autograph reply in pencil: "I knew of nothing except the reports from the prison, the reports of inspecting officers & newspaper statements." Written on scrap of lined paper.

GLC07271.01

8 November 1865

Russell, G.B., fl. 1865

Printed document signed

Title: [Admission ticket to the hanging of Captain Henry Wirz at the Old Capital Prison in Washington, D.C.]

Wirz's hanging is not mentioned but the date of admission is 10 November 1865, the day he was hanged at the Old Capital Prison. Small yellow printed card. The name of the bearer has been scratched out.

GLC07271.04

1860

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

Object

Title: Abraham Lincoln Republican candidate for President [medal]

Brass medal: "Abraham Lincoln Republican candidate for President / The great rail splitter of the west must & shall be our next President."

GLC07260

1865/01/23

Hood, John Bell, 1831-1879

Autograph document signed

Title: Draft of farewell address to his army, written in pencil

Draft of farewell address to the army: "I have this day been relieved from the command of this army ... you have endured your many hardships during the recent campaign. I am alone responsible for its conception and strived hard to do my duty in its execution." Docketed at the bottom with the names of 13 Confederate generals, including Beauregard, Cheatham and Forrest. (With hole near signature and text loss.)

GLC07261