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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.

to Bell Wharton

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03523.10.115 Author/Creator: Place Written: Memphis, Tennessee Type: Autograph letter Date: 9 March 1864 Pagination: 4 p. : envelope Height: 24.6 cm, Width: 39.5 cm Order a Copy

Possibly written by Joseph Maitland, based on content. Begins letter to Bell with a love poem, "Old Song." Tells her that he was thinking of her and the song came into his mind, especially because of the lines, "'never till life and memory perish, can I forget how dear thou art to me.' " Writes that he wants to wrap his arms around her, and that he could express his feelings much better in person. Asks her "not to tell any one the nonsense I write to you, or they certainly would think I was a big fool."

Maitland, Joseph M., 1839-1918

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