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 William S. Shaw

Order a pdf of this item here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.07278 Author/Creator: Knox, Henry, 1750-1806 Place Written: Boston, Massachusetts Type: Autograph letter Date: 3 July 1799 Pagination: 1 p. : docket ; 22.5 x 18.9 cm. Order a Copy

Knox writes Shaw, secretary to President Adams, requesting that his son Henry, a lieutenant in the Navy, be assigned to the Frigate Constitution. Knox reminds Shaw that Knox already objected "verbally" to his son being assigned to the Boston. He has just spoken with Captain [Silas] Talbot (new captain of the Constitution), who has agreed to take Knox Jr. as an officer. See GLC02437.07279 and GLC02437.07282 for related items.

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806
Shaw, William Smith, 1778-1826
Adams, John, 1735-1826
Talbot, Silas, 1751-1813

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources