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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.

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806 to William Knox

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.00706 Author/Creator: Knox, Henry, 1750-1806 Place Written: Valley Forge, Pennsylvania Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 27 May 1778 Pagination: 2 p. : address : docket ; Height: 33.5 cm, Width: 20.4 cm Order a Copy

Knox informs his brother that his wife and daughter, both named Lucy, arrived recently at Valley Forge. Notes that General [Benedict] Arnold accompanied Lucy from New Haven, Connecticut. Notes that his guests may not be able to enjoy their accommodations at camp for very much longer, "the Enemy being on the eve of evacuating Philadelphia." Asserts the British are expected to travel to New York before sailing to the West Indies. Questions why William has not written to him sooner, and discusses a debt handled by William in Boston. In closing, writes, "I shall write you a History of the evacuation of Philadelphia and probably of a Battle at Valley Forge for the Enemy threatens hard to fight bloodily before they depart."

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806
Knox, William, 1756-1795
Arnold, Benedict, 1741-1801
Knox, Lucy Flucker, 1756-1824

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