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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.

Francis, Joseph, 1801-1893 to Edwards Pierrepont

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03502 Author/Creator: Francis, Joseph, 1801-1893 Place Written: s.l. Type: Autograph letter signed Date: February 14, 1864 Pagination: 3 p. : docket ; Height: 25 cm, Width: 20 cm Order a Copy

Discusses the delay in the army for the order of his pontoon bridge. Mentions General John Adams Dix. Informs that Colonel Edward Serrell needs to go to Washington to see Francis's bridges but there is a problem getting the orders for Serrell to get there by train. Francis asks Pierrepont to write to Edwin Stanton, the Secretary of War, and ask him to allow Colonel Serrell to go stating, "It is merely to ask Mr. Stanton to allow Coln Serrell (who is the best & most popular Engineer officer in the Army) to examine my system. He cannot object to this, and I should think he would be glad to have the opinion of so distinguished an officer." Year inferred from content.

Francis, Joseph, 1801-1893
Pierrepont, Edwards, 1817-1892
Serrell, Edward W. (Edward Wellman), 1826-?
Stanton, Edwin M. (Edwin McMasters), 1814-1869
Dix, John Adams, 1798-1879

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