Our Collection

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.

McCann, William Penn, 1830-1906 to Richard T. Renshaw

Order a pdf of this item here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02254.10 Author/Creator: McCann, William Penn, 1830-1906 Place Written: Washington, North Carolina Type: Letter signed Date: 9 April 1863 Pagination: 2 p. ; 19 x 35 cm. Order a Copy

Writes to say he is sending "to night three (3) Schooners, with ammunition for the Army and the Gunboats." Mentions that "Davenport thinks it is imprudent to send more boats past the batteries without silencing them." Assures Renshaw that "the force from Newberne [sic] is rapidly advancing to meet you" and briefly mentions that he will be ready for an attack on the Hill's Point Batteries. Letter written aboard the U.S.S. Hunchback. McCann, commander of the Hunchback eventually rose to the rank of Commadore.

McCann, William Penn, 1830-1906
Renshaw, Richard T., 1822-1879
Davenport, Henry Kallock, 1820-1872

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources