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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 Benjamin Lincoln

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.00747 Author/Creator: Knox, Henry, 1750-1806 Place Written: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Type: Letter Date: January 29, 1779 Pagination: 3 p. : docket ; Height: 33 cm, Width: 21 cm Order a Copy

Later copy. Knox gives advice to General Lincoln, Southern Department Commander: "My ignorance of the Country makes me an inadequate judge of your situation, but the numbers you mention you have to oppose the Enemy is most certainly a very serious matter. This it is to hoped will ultimately be remedied but the mean time will probably be very disagreeable." Advises Lincoln to exercise patience. Relates that the right wing of the Continental Army is in New Jersey, while the left wing and part of the second line are east of the Hudson River. Remarks, "The Enemy by shipping off so great a quantity of troops have not enough left to disturb our repose much this winter. We are enjoying ease at your expense. I feel a kind of shame in participating of any entertainment at a time when any part of my friends are in a disagreeable situation."

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806
Lincoln, Benjamin, 1733-1810

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