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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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9 February 1862

Goldsborough, Louis Malesherbes, 1805-1877

Manuscript document

Title: [General Order of commendation for efforts at Roanoke Island]

Congratulates his men for their work in the capture of Roanoke Island and urges them to continue to "crush the Hydra of rebellion." Goldsborough was the commanding officer of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron from 1861 to 1862. He participated in the Battle of Roanoke Island (7-8 February 1862) under the command of Union Army Brigadier General Ambrose E. Burnside, attacking a Confederate fleet off the coast of North Carolina. Written off Roanoke Island.

GLC02254.01

22 March 1862

Goldsborough, Louis Malesherbes, 1805-1877

Letter

Title: to Stephen C. Rowan

Congratulates Rowan on his victory at New Bern and confides, "I expected nothing less. I trust that Beaufort and Fort Macon will soon share a similar fate with Newberne [sic] -- that is be in your possession." Rowan was a captain in the United States Navy when he assisted in the capture of New Bern, North Carolina, on 14 March 1862. The battle was led by Brigadier General Ambrose E. Burnside.

GLC02254.02

July 1862

Document

Title: [Blank Oath of Office]

Printed document with unsigned Oath of Office.

GLC02254.04

16 November 1862

Lee, Samuel Phillips, 1812-1897

Letter

Title: to Henry K. Davenport

Titled "Extracts from a Letter of Instructions." The first extract gives information about the positioning of gunboats for "assisting in the defence of posts." The second extract is a reminder to "keep a bright look out for, and use every precaution to guard against, torpedoes!" The third extract reminds sailors to stay in their ships at night. Lee was the commanding officer, with the rank of acting rear admiral, of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron from 1862 to 1864. He was then transferred to the command of the Mississippi River Squadron. Lee was promoted to rear admiral in 1870.

GLC02254.06

2 December 1862

Lee, Samuel Phillips, 1812-1897

Letter

Title: [Blockading instructions for the senior naval officer in the Sounds of North Carolina]

Outlines plans for a blockade "to interdict all trade whatever with the country blockaded by the N. Atlantic Blockading Squadron." Details the boundaries of the blockade within North and South Carolina. Explains that vessels must have "clearances from the Custom House at the Port which they left" in order to pass through the Sounds. Writes that all vessels must contain stores and merchandise or hold "a permit from the Treasury, War or Navy Department." Notes that, "care must be taken not to allow vessels, taking refuge in Hatteras or Ocracoke Inlet in foul weather, to enter the Sounds."…

GLC02254.07

11 January 1863

Lee, Samuel Phillips, 1812-1897

Autograph note signed

Title: to Richard T. Renshaw

Lee annotates a clerical transcription of various dispatches and newspaper clippings concerning activities of the United States Navy in Texas during the Battle of Galveston. On recto, is a transcription of an article from the "Richmond Va Examiner" titled "Brilliant Naval Exploit: The "Harriet Lane" Captured, Another Steamer blown up with all on board." The article details the capture of the U.S.S. Harriet Lane at "two o'clock on New Year's morning" in Galveston Bay. The article also includes a short paragraph about the fate of another vessel: "The Westervelt [sic] under Commander Renshaw…

GLC02254.08

14 April 1863

McCann, William Penn, 1830-1906

Letter signed

Title: to Richard T. Renshaw

Mentions a change of plans in the attack on Hill's Point Battery. Reports location, activities and condition of several Union ships, including the Collier, Phoenix, Hunchback, Southfield, Valley City, Whitehead and Granite. Complains that "there is not a boat here in which we can mount a Howitzer to clear the channel of the rebel picket boats."

GLC02254.12

9 May 1863

Foster, Amos P., fl. 1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Richard T. Renshaw

Reports that he has "started up Blounts Creek" in search of an enemy schooner sighted on 6 May. Does not find the enemy schooner, but instead "one belonging to this colored man named James Moore, and which I send to you. He says he has been in the habit of running her, (previous to the last attack by the enemy) on passes from the Provost Marshall." Foster writes from aboard the U.S.S. Delaware, which he commanded.

GLC02254.14

14 May 1864

Smith, Melancton, 1810-1893

Letter signed

Title: to Richard T. Renshaw

Orders Renshaw to survey the captured schooner Anne S. Davenport at Roanoke Island and report "the valuation of vessel and cargo." Melancton Smith served as a commanding officer in the Sounds of North Carolina during 1864.

GLC02254.18

6 January 1776-30 March 1776

Manuscript document

Title: [An account of Cash Receiv'd for my Comp'y at Sundry times]

Lists amounts received and days received for Colonel William Burbeck and Colonel Henry Knox.

GLC02437.00239

5 January 1776

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Capt. Bayler

Apologizes for taking Bayler's horse for his brother, William Knox. Had Knox known he would have been away so long, he would not have taken it. Knox was then organizing the transport of artillery from Fort Ticonderoga to Cambridge, Massachusetts.

GLC02437.00240

12 January 1776

Schuyler, Philip John, 1733-1804

Manuscript document

Title: to Henry Knox

Certifies that a Lieutenant Gray "has rode Cannon Seven Miles." Refers to the artillery transport from Fort Ticonderoga to Cambridge, Massachusetts that Knox was overseeing. Contemporary secretarial signature.

GLC02437.00241

14 January 1776

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mr. Swart

Discusses the movement of artillery from Fort Ticonderoga to Cambridge, Massachusetts, specifically between Blandford and Springfield, Massachusetts. Updates arrangements for the assistance Swart was supplying.

GLC02437.00242

12 December 1775-16 January 1776

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Manuscript document

Title: [Account of cash paid the officers under Henry Knox's command]

Lists officers, the amount of cash allotted to them, and the date allotted. Written from Knox's headquarters to Lieutenant Colonel of the Artillery William Burbeck and signed by him.

GLC02437.00243

20 January 1776

Cooper, Samuel, 1757-1840

Autograph note signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Provides a letter of introduction for a man named Mr. Pollard, and asks a Knox to give him an office of some sort. Possibly, Jonathan Pollard, who became a quartermaster for Knox.

GLC02437.00244

23 June 1861

Stemple, David Jr., fl. 1861

Autograph letter signed

Title: to cousin [Lydia A. Bishoff]

He reports that he is still "right side up," in good health, and working for 13 dollars a month. He mentions that A.J. is also still well and "was on last Sunday as full of mischief as ever." Stemple then encloses some of A.J.'s own words in the letter. According to A.J., the weather is dry and pretty hot, there is a fair prospect of a good grain harvest, and "the excitement is not so great as it has been." A.J. also reports that times are hard and that there is not much money in circulation. He hears that those back home [in Preston County, West Virginia] have been forced to "keep the…

GLC03523.40.02

20 March 1900

Brown, Walter T., fl. 1900-1901

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mrs. S. W. K. Brown

Brown served as Paymaster Yeoman on the USS Monocacy during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900. The Monocacy had served in Chinese waters for nearly 30 years, and was ordered to recapture the forts at Taku on 11 June 1900. He was trapped with the US Marines and multinational force in Tientsin.

GLC04546.001b

1862-1920s

Photograph

Title: Photographs of circus performers, including Tom Thumb, circus set-up, etc. (# 1-14, 16)

Three carte de visites, two of Tom Thumb and wife. Twelve cabinet cards featuring various circus performers, most wearing street clothes.

GLC05508.068.01

1862-1920s

Photograph

Title: Three 20th century 8 x 10 prints of midway and carnival acts

GLC05508.068.02

1865/05/20

Allen, Robert, fl. 1865

Note

Title: to: A[lba] M. Tucker [Parkersburg, W.Va.]

In entirety: "The route has changed. Return."

GLC07642.09

1865/05/20

Tucker, Ada M., fl. 1862-1865

Newspaper

Title: [Unidentified newspaper.]

Newspaper clipping reprinting the telegrams described above in items 3-9. Reprints are followed by brief criticism of the extreme secrecy surrounding the transportation of Davis.

GLC07642.11

May 1865

Photograph

Title: [Albumen of Ada M. Tucker and his staff]

Oval photograph of Union officer (probably Ada M. Tucker) surrounded by his staff in Louisville, Ky. White mount with pencil inscription "15" on verso.

GLC07642.12