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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.

Damuth, Dolphus, fl. 1839-1913 to John and Joan Damuth

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03523.14.23 Author/Creator: Damuth, Dolphus, fl. 1839-1913 Place Written: Vicksburg, Mississippi Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 28 April 1863 Pagination: 4 p. : envelope Height: 12 cm, Width: 20 cm Order a Copy

Writes that the 29th Wisconsin left its plantation campground, and has been on the march since. In the woods, they find evidence of rebel building projects and bridges. Damuth and a group of men go out to fix up the roads ahead. Describes their meals on the march. All men have been ordered to carry 100 rounds of cartridges and the camp doctors are preparing their field instruments. There is general excitement and Damuth describes the soldiers behaving "as if they were going to a place of amusement." Written from "40 miles below Vicksburg, Louisiana."

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