Our Collection

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.

Sherwood, Adiel, 1791-1879 to Absalom Janes

Order a pdf of this item here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00328 Author/Creator: Sherwood, Adiel, 1791-1879 Place Written: Upper Alton, Illinois Type: Autograph letter signed Date: February 25, 1843 Pagination: 3 p. : address ; Height: 25 cm, Width: 20 cm Order a Copy

Sherwood, President of Shurtleff College, writes to Colonel Janes, a trustee of Mercer University. He writes, "A lady from La. was visiting at Jacksonville a few days ago with a servant girl: an abolitionist decoyed her off & took her into Greene Co. The kidnapper & his father were [laid] under $5,000 bonds to appear at Court. While the friends of the lady were taking [inserted: the girl] to St. Louis to meet her mistress, the [boundary] party arrested them, (I suppose for same offence), but they claimed a trial in Alton & were acquitted. Mean while, the girl was sent across the River & was out of reach of abolitionists & met her mistress, in St. Louis who was on her return home. These characters have not risen much in my estimation since [3] I came to the state & heard of their movements. Our girl, Ann, says she must go back to Ga. in the fall & I suppose I must gratify her."

Sherwood, Adiel, 1791-1879
Janes, Absalom, 1796-1847

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources