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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.

Langdon, Woodbury, 1739-1805 to Elbridge Gerry

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC01450.193 Author/Creator: Langdon, Woodbury, 1739-1805 Place Written: Portsmouth, New Hampshire Type: Autograph letter signed Date: April 17, 1781 Pagination: 1 p. : Height: 24.2 cm, Width: 19.7 cm Order a Copy

Langdon thanks Gerry for his concern over his recent misfortune, and says he will make the best of it. Encloses a copy of his orders to Captain Nanning of the ship "Hector" and a memorandum of provisions he can collect so he can remain at sea until June 1, 1781 if necessary (the orders and memorandum are not included here). Langdon says he has not heard of or from Nanning since he sailed on January 25, 1781 with 97 men. Gerry was a Declaration of Independence signer and a member of the Continental Congress.

Langdon, Woodbury, 1739-1805
Gerry, Elbridge, 1744-1814

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