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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.

Cook, Gustave, 1835-1897 to Eliza Cook

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02570.23 Author/Creator: Cook, Gustave, 1835-1897 Place Written: Decatur, Alabama Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 22 March 1862 Pagination: 6 p. : Order a Copy

Has received Eliza's letter and even though it was over a month old, "your hand had traced it and your thoughts were on it so I kissed it and read it over and over." Cook reports that he received letters from his father and his aunt, but nothing from his sisters. Apologizes for having nothing exciting to write since he does so frequently. He wonders why Mrs. Lamar has not written him back and attributes it to the fact that he may have written a letter that was "out of taste." Asks Eliza to tell Mrs. Lamar that if his writing was offensive it is only because he is ignorant of such matters. Thinks Dr. Feris has been writing him very hasty and careless letters and tells Eliza, "you may let him see what I have written as friendship is firmly established only when candor is one of its cornerstones." Ends with a promise to write a long letter "about a certain matter soon. It is a wrong I have done and you must know it, you were the person wronged. But it is all over and right now."

Cooke, Gustave, fl. 1861-1865

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