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.

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806 to Jonathan Trumbull

Order a pdf of this item here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.01286 Author/Creator: Knox, Henry, 1750-1806 Place Written: Virginia Type: Autograph letter Date: 4 November 1781 Pagination: 3 p. : docket ; Order a Copy

Responds to Trumbull's letter requesting information for George Washington to incorporate into a letter to Governor of Virginia Thomas Nelson (see GLC02437.01282). Explains plans to establish an artillery magazine in Virginia, containing the ordnance remaining after the siege of Yorktown. The artillery would be for the use of the Southern Army and protection of Virginia in case of a British invasion. Washington needs to make requests to Governor Nelson for a location to store the munitions, preferably in Westham, and a party for the transport. Discusses the channels through which the requests and instructions to officers should travel. Knox's instructions to Colonel Edward Carrington in regard to the creation of the magazine appear in GLC02437.01284. Trumbull was Washington's military secretary.

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806
Trumbull, Jonathan, Jr., 1740-1809

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources