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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.

Wood, Matthew, fl. 1862-1865 to Sarah Wood

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02176.14 Author/Creator: Wood, Matthew, fl. 1862-1865 Place Written: Nashville, Tennessee Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 16 April 1864 Pagination: 4 p. : Height: 20.1 cm, Width: 25 cm Order a Copy

Written from Nashville, Tennessee to his wife. Was sent to Nashville to retrieve a horse, but there are many cavalrymen waiting for horses. Compares the cold weather to Ohio winters. Describes the terrain of East Tennessee, the abundance of fruits, and compares Tennessee farms to Ohio farms and Tennessee tree species. Mentions the cemetery where General Felix Zollicofer is buried, and the tomb of Stonewall Jackson. Mentions again he has not received any letters from his wife in a while. Discusses ephemeral nature of life and how he looks forward to a more peaceful afterlife.

Wood, Matthew, fl. 1861-1865
Wood, Sarah, fl. 1862-1865
Zollicoffer, Felix Kirk, 1812-1862
Jackson, Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall," 1824-1863

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