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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.

Halleck, Henry Wager, 1815-1872 to Elizabeth Halleck

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC01689 Author/Creator: Halleck, Henry Wager, 1815-1872 Place Written: Corinth, Mississippi Type: Autograph letter signed Date: July 13, 1862 Pagination: 4 p. : Height: 25 cm, Width: 20 cm Order a Copy

Halleck writes his wife a lengthy description of events that led to his appointment as General in Chief of the Union Army. He explains how he avoided quarrels between Edwin Stanton and George McClellan by refusing to mediate when asked to go to Washington, D.C. Finally, Abraham Lincoln ordered him to Washington as General in Chief. The following January, Halleck asked to be relieved from the position (see GLC01688). Part of page three is missing.

Halleck, Henry Wager, 1815-1872
Halleck, Elizabeth, 1835-1897
Stanton, Edwin M. (Edwin McMasters), 1814-1869
McClellan, George B., 1826-1885
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

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