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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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10 December 1863

Birney, William, 1819-1907

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Angel James Creswell

Marked as "Private." General Birney discusses the publication of an enclosed certificate (not included) with Creswell, a United States Representative from Maryland. Discussing African American soldiers, states "In July, I was authorized by telegram to say these men should be credited on the draft; and I expect the administration to be as good as its word." Wishes Creswell success in his career as a Representative.

GLC03428.01

31 July 1862

Broadside

Title: War Meeting! at Laona!

Recruitment broadside with woodcut of American eagle on top of shield. The eagle holds a banner that says "The Union Must and Shall Be Preserved!" Says there is a meeting at the church in Laona. Discussion to be on raising volunteers for the defense of the country. Certificate of Authenticity in the collateral file estimated the date as 1862, which was used to date this record. Broadside is cut unevenly and has some damge at the top.

GLC03429

1860

Daggett, E. A., fl. 1860

Pamphlet

Title: Wide-Awake Vocalist, or Rail Splitter's song book.

Songbook for the 1860 Republican presidential campaign. Published by E.A. Daggett, New York. Proclaims itself, "The best collection of words and music ever published for a campaign."

GLC03430

13 October 1865

Sheridan, Philip Henry, 1831-1888

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Horatio Wright

Enclosing an order sending General Frederick Steele to the Department of the Columbia, and stating that General Godfrey Weitzel should replace him. The third page is written vertically. One full length seated engraving of Sheridan included.

GLC03431

1781-1794

Various

Header Record

Title: Archive of Captain John Bryant, Deputy Commissary of Military Stores at the Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts [Decimalized .001-.117]

Includes letters from Henry Knox (28 letters), Henry Jackson, Samuel Hodgdon, Timothy Pickering, Benjamin Lincoln, William Simmons, John Crane, and Jonathan Jackson among others.

GLC03432

January 24, 1691 - December 20, 1843

Header Record

Title: Middlesex County Virginia documents [Decimalized: .01-.85]

A collection of eighty seven documents, many regarding the slave trade in Middlesex County Virginia. Includes by-laws for Colored Ladies Lincoln Association and a document regarding a freeman emancipating an enslaved woman he intended to marry. Also includes slave sales documents. The collection also includes materials relating to the Pursoll family, the Winn family, and a printed document signed by Peter V. Daniel, who later served as Supreme Court Justice. A finding aid list was created by Pierpont Morgan Library.

GLC03434

4 April 1865

Sherman, William T. (William Tecumseh), 1820-1891

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alfred Terry

Writes to General Terry requesting a pass for the daughters of Joseph Lyon of Hampton Virginia, Mrs. Mollie Whiting and Elizabeth Lee, to go to Wilmington and Old Point. Written on stationary marked Head-Quarters Military Division of the Mississippi.

GLC03435

1812 ca.

Header Record

Title: War of 1812-related items [decimalized]

Materials relating to the War of 1812 including signatures, documents, pamphlets, etc.

GLC03436

25 July 1812

Flint, Elijah, 1779-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Elijah Flint

Provides a lengthy discussion of "the declaration of war with G. Britain, and the unprepared Situation we were placed in to make our defence." Comments on the spread of the news of the start of the War of 1812 to British forces and relations with Canada and Indian tribes. Also discusses the postal road and a meeting with Joseph B. Varnum, a Massachusetts congressman from 1795-1811. Mentions in a postscript that he thinks the danger from Indians is greater in Dracut, Massachusetts, then where he is writing from, in Batavia, New York. Written to his father.

GLC03436.01

25 April 1813

Armstrong, John, Jr. 1758-1843

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Decius Wadsworth

Secretary of War Armstrong authorizes Colonel Wadsworth, then commissary general for ordnance, to gather all the arms he can for the defense of Baltimore, Maryland. Notes in a postscript that the arms will be delivered to the brigade quartermaster of the Maryland militia. Signed twice by Armstrong.

GLC03436.02

1864

Union Party (San Francisco, Calif.)

Ephemera

Title: [1864 Union election ticket]

Union ticket from San Francisco, California for Abraham Lincoln of Illinois as President and Andrew Johnson of Tennessee as Vice President. Lists presidential electors from each district. Also prints the candidate for member of Congress, First District, Donald C. McRuer of San Francisco. Verso of ticket is printed with an image of three ships in battle, the Alabama, the Deerhound, and the Kearsarge.

GLC03439

9 July 1864 - 10 July 1864

Morris, Charles Manigault, 1820-1895

Manuscript

Title: [Excerpt from ship's log for the CSS "Florida"]

Written aboard the USS Florida at sea. Exerpt or clerical copy of log of the CSS "Florida" from 9 July-10 July. Gives the speed, course, direction of wind, force of wind, weather, barometer, and thermometer readings for every hour of each day. Also provides longitude and latitude for location. 9 July: came across the Canadian ship "Eugenia," and let her go. Burned the schooner "Margaret Y. Davis." Also captured the American ship "Greenland," which had a cargo of coal, as a prize. 10 July: tells of the capture of the barque "General Berry" of Baltimore that had 1,000 bales of government hay…

GLC03440

1863

Vallandigham, Clement L., 1820-1871

Book signed

Title: The record of Hon. C. L. Vallandigham on abolition, the Union and the Civil War.

Published by J. Walter & Co. in Ohio. Vallandigham signs 19 January 1864 in Windsor, Ontario, where he was living in exile.

GLC03441

18 June 1862

Medary, Samuel, 1801-1864

Newspaper

Title: The crisis. [Vol. 2, no. 21 (June 18, 1862)]

Pro-slavery newspaper. The article "Questions Gingerly Touched and Tenderly Asked" harshly criticizes the "Ohio State Journal" for its previous criticism of "the Crisis". Also includes a speech by Samuel S. Cox of Ohio, given at the House of Representatives on June 6, 1862 entitled "Emancipation and its Results-- Is Ohio to be Africanized?" (pages 162-163 and 166). Reports on many news items of local and national importance, as well as advertisements, court cases, and military news.

GLC03442

4 October 1862

Harper & Brothers, 1833-1962

Newspaper

Title: Harper's weekly. [Vol. 6, no. 301 (October 4, 1862)]

Includes a printing of the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation on the third page titled, "THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY." Discusses the Emancipation Proclamation, including an article titled "Slavery Practically abolished." Includes coverage of McClellan in Fredericksburg, an image of General McClellan entering the town of Frederick, Maryland, and the Battle of Antietam. Duplicate of GLC08620.

GLC03443

November 1876 - December 1876

Sherman, William T. (William Tecumseh), 1820-1891

Autograph manuscript signed

Title: [Fragment of a report on the war against the Sioux]

Concerns the campaigns against Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, commenting on the activities of generals Nelson A. Miles, George Crook, and Philip H. Sheridan. Last four pages of a document, numbered 50-53, possibly of an annual report. Crazy Horse surrendered in May of 1877, after 3 months of inactivity. The Winter expedition Sherman mentions, leaving Fort Letterman on 27 October, attacked Crazy Horse on 7 January 1877, making it likely that this report was written in the intervening months.

GLC03444

circa 1863

Currier & Ives

Title: The Battle of Gettysburg, PA, July 3d 1863.

Handcolored lithograph, possibly contemporary with the battle. Caption reads "This terrific and bloody conflict between the gallant 'Army of the Potomac,' commanded by their great General George G. Meade, and the hosts of the rebel 'Army of the East' under General Lee, was commenced on Wednesday July 1st and ended on Friday the 3rd at 5 O'Clock P.M.--The decisive Battle was fought on Friday, ending in the complete rout & dispersion of the Rebel Army.--A Nations thanks and undying fame ever crown the Arms of the heroic soldiers, who fought with such unflinching bravery; this long and…

GLC03445

1776

Simes, Thomas, fl. 1776

Book

Title: New military, historical & explanatory dictionary

GLC03449

1820

Pamphlet

Title: Letter from the Secretary of Treasury re: Indians and public lands

Re: "purchasing from the Indians" land & an accounting acres surveyed.

GLC03450

1769