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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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5 January 1862

Miller, Michael Murray, fl. 1861-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Lile Miller

Written at Camp Pierpont to his wife. Discusses the difficulty of obtaining wood and the possibility of acquiring a small sheet iron stove. Complains that soldiers from New York receive more press than the Pennsylvania troops: "...i see your Sunday New Yorkers or Porter guards as they are called there wants a Barracks to live in if they come here we will give them a Barracks and some thing else to do than Box and Play Ball in the dimond [sic], not that i Blame the Soldiers themselves, But every Paper and letter that comes from there is filled with their doings [while] the men from there who…

GLC02155.027

9 January 1862

Miller, Michael Murray, fl. 1861-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Lile Miller

Written at Camp Pierpont to his wife. Complains about the Porter Guards from New York, who are stationed at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, noting that they boast of "Being nearly all Rich and leaving home through Principal," although "the Pennsylvanians are as Patriotick as ever New York was..."

GLC02155.028

17 January 1862

Miller, Michael Murray, fl. 1861-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Lile Miller

Written from camp near White Oak Church. Writes, "...when the Inquirer came yesterday it put a damper on the Boys to see that the Secretary of War had refused to let the Reserves go Back to the State... i never felt like deserting Before But if ever i get Back across the Potomac again i shall studdy awhile Before i Return..."

GLC02155.029

21 January 1862

Miller, Michael Murray, fl. 1861-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Lile Miller

Written from Camp Pierpont to his wife. Complains that one of his fellow soldiers is spreading falsehoods, through letters, about others in the company.

GLC02155.030

26 January 1862

Miller, Michael Murray, fl. 1861-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Lile Miller

Written at Camp Pierpont to his wife. Discusses camp life. Writes, "Oh i hope and pray to god it may not Be much longer till i can press you to my heart... and yet dear Lile to Protect this happy Land of ours i would fight those over Bearing Rebels till the last drop of Blood was out of my veins..."

GLC02155.032

9 February 1862

Miller, Michael Murray, fl. 1861-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Lile Miller

Written at Camp Pierpont to his wife. Complains about the rain and that Lile, his wife, does not write to him enough. Writes, "...the government has opened a Recruiting office at McCalls head quarters for the Regular Army any volunteer enlisting there for five years is to get one hundred dollars Bounty... and a furlough for sixty days and i have heard they are enlisting verry fast..."

GLC02155.033

13 February 1862

Miller, Michael Murray, fl. 1861-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Lile Miller

Written at Camp Pierpont to his wife. Writes, "...the Boys are Jubilant of our late victories at Roanoke island and in the [tennessee] River, But i suppose ere you Receive this you will have heard of the taking of Roanoke island By our forces they killed and wounded about one thousand of the Rebels, and took about two thousand Prisoners, while on the tennessee River our fleet has gone up as far as it was navigable, and destroyed all their Breast works vessels... unless our troops meet with a terrible defeat some where it will not Be many months till the Confederate government will Be no more…

GLC02155.034

20 February 1862

Miller, Michael Murray, fl. 1861-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Lile Miller

Written at Camp Pierpont to his wife. Writes, "...Please do not let one secession thought enter your heart for not for the world would i have you entertain one Secession principle... think of the stain that Rests on the second and third generation of the tories of the Revolution, and you will find that in after years the same stain will Rest on the children of the traitors now in the country we are not fighting to set darkeys free if they would make that the issue the army of the Potomac would Be Broke up Before two weeks, Dear Lile i am a stiffer Democrat now i think than i was when i…

GLC02155.035

25 February 1862

Miller, Michael Murray, fl. 1861-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Lile Miller

Written at Camp Pierpont to his wife. Complains that married women in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (where he was from) throw parties for and "walk the streets" with the Porter Guards.

GLC02155.036

27 February 1862

Miller, Michael Murray, fl. 1861-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Lile Miller

Written at Camp Pierpont to his wife. Writes that the whole division is preparing to move, and "where we are to go, we do not know, or any person else i suppose excep [sic] Genl McClellan..." Post script is written in pencil.

GLC02155.037

12 March 1862

Miller, Michael Murray, fl. 1861-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Lile Miller

Reports that they are one mile from Centreville. Writes, "...i do not think they intend to attact [sic] Bull Run and i think they have evacuated Centreville..."

GLC02155.038

23 March 1862

Miller, Michael Murray, fl. 1861-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Lile Miller

Writes from camp near Alexandria. Ink is faded. Page five is written on a half sheet.

GLC02155.039

26 March 1862

Miller, Michael Murray, fl. 1861-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Lile Miller

Writes from camp near Alexandria. Ink is faded.

GLC02155.040

1 April 1862

Miller, Michael Murray, fl. 1861-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Lile Miller

Writes from camp near Alexandria. Ink is faded. "...you asked in your letter whether we had lost confidence in Genl McClellan No Dear Lile if there is a man in the world this army loves it is him, the Reason they are down on him, they think he ought to move faster, Run his men into Battle hap hazard and have some more Bull Run Slaughters... he is a Democrat that is the [sore]... i was at the House where Ellsworth was killed the Poll is still on the House where he tore the flag off..."

GLC02155.041

12 April 1862

Miller, Michael Murray, fl. 1861-1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Lile Miller

Writes from Manassas Junction to his wife. Relates that Brigadier General Reynolds keeps quarters in their camp. Writes, "...i suppose you have heard of the Glorious Victory in the west, a few more of the kind i think will end the Rebellion..."

GLC02155.042

26 March 1864

Blackman, James A., fl. 1861-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary Blackman

Writes to his mother about his hard journey and states he saw Frank [his brother Francis] for a few hours. He is very homesick.

GLC02159.14

8 May 1864

Lucas, F.H., fl. 1864

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary Blackman

Written from Knight Hospital. Informs Mary that her son Francis is getting better.

GLC02159.15

2 December 1864

Blackman, Francis G., fl. 1861-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary Blackman

Writes to his mother that he spent Thanksgiving in Gettersburg [Gettysburg?]. They are now four miles from Harper's Ferry.

GLC02159.17

20 January 1865

Blackman, James A., fl. 1861-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary Blackman

Writes to his mother that he has no interesting news at present but that he is "... rejoiced to hear of the Union Victorys in other places surely the day Star of peace will soon apear to gladen the hearts..."

GLC02159.18

24 April [1865]

Blackman, Francis G., fl. 1861-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary Blackman

Writes to his mother about the war being just about over. "...the Jonnes [Johnnies] keep coming in hear every day ...pitch on them and kill some and drive them of if it wasnt for the soldiers bing hear the Jonnes would not stand much chance..." Mentions some Confederate soldiers [Johnnies] that scouts apprehended. 100,000 dollars was found on one and 5,000 dollars on another. The scouts killed him. On stationary of the U.S. Christian Commission.

GLC02159.19

13 May 1861

Davis, William B., fl. 1861-1862

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his sister

Writes, "The whites have allmost all left and the nigers have full swing at every thing they never dreamt of living in such stile before. The inhabitants left every thing but themselves when Burnside came and beat a hasty retreat."

GLC02160.01