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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.

Farragut, David Glasgow (1801-1870) to Benjamin F. Butler

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02092 Author/Creator: Farragut, David Glasgow (1801-1870) Place Written: New Orleans, Louisiana Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 11 August 1862 Pagination: 2 p. : docket ; 20.3 x 12.7 cm. Order a Copy

Written by Flag Officer Farragut to Major General Butler as commander of the Department of the Gulf. Farragut says he has just returned from an official visit with the Spanish commander of a steamer of war who had been detained for lack of proper documents. The Spanish commander was forced to land at New Orleans because he was out of provisions. The "store vessel", where the proper papers were stored was below and unreachable. The Spaniard said nothing about it because he was afraid of being denied entry to the port. Reports that the Spaniard "asked me with great timidity as to whether he could not get thru by some course or other & I told him I would mention it to you & that you would say what was to be done." Also in file is a small piece of paper that seems to have been cut off of another document. It is in Farragut's hand and simply says "F.S. Hartford."

Farragut, David Glasgow, 1801-1870

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