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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.

Heath, William, 1737-1814 to David Wooster

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC01139 Author/Creator: Heath, William, 1737-1814 Place Written: New York, New York Type: Autograph letter signed Date: February 7, 1777 Pagination: 2 p. : address : docket ; Height: 31 cm, Width: 19.5 cm Order a Copy

Written by Heath as Major General in the Continental Army to Major General Wooster. He orders a grand forage for the next morning. Mentions complaints about vandalism of local houses by soldiers and asks Wooster to look into it. Requests that soldiers be prohibited from traveling to New York City without the consent of the Committee of Convention. Adds that the Detachment of Artillery will soon be inactive and he would like General Treadwell and the other detachments to come to Kingstreet so that they may all be together. Heath was soon to be censured by Washington and would be given commands not likely to be involved in battle. Wooster was similarly tainted by previous mismanagement and would be mortally wounded in April 1777 and would die in May 1777.

Heath, William, 1737-1814
Wooster, David, 1711-1777

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