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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.

Billings, Andrew, 1743-1808 to Henry Knox

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.02198 Author/Creator: Billings, Andrew, 1743-1808 Place Written: Poughkeepsie, New York Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 28 June 1783 Pagination: 1 p. : docket ; 33.8 x 21.3 cm. Order a Copy

Written by Captain Major Billings to Major General Knox. References a previous letter from Knox that arrived with 2 brass cannons -- says he will "set about them as soon as the directions arrive, and will finish them as soon as possible." Billings is engraving the cannon for Count De Rocheambeau (see GLC02437.02199) also has designs relating to the Society of Cincinnati but he claims the "design [is] ... so defased and torn that they are unfit to be seen, if that is wanted I will draw it over and send down, I have a design now drawn which if aproved off may suit for those cannon for sake of variety." Will meet with him in a few days for an inspection.

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