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.

Woodruff, Isaac, 1722-1803 to George Washington

Order a pdf of this item here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.00357 Author/Creator: Woodruff, Isaac, 1722-1803 Place Written: Elizabeth, New Jersey Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 3 July 1776 Pagination: 1p. : address : Height: 31.8 cm, Width: 21.2 cm Order a Copy

On the verso, the letter is titled: "On the Publick Service." The Elizabethtown Committee informs George Washington that the British have landed on Staten Island and proceeded to within two miles of Elizabeth, New Jersey. The militia is gathering but the area is threatened. They are in need of artillery and request supplies from Washington. A post script specifies that their cannon bore is exactly 2.5 inches in diameter. Woodruff was the chairman of the committee. Possibly forwarded to Henry Knox because he commanded the artillery.

Woodruff, Isaac, 1722-1803
Washington, George, 1732-1799

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources