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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 Maria Damuth

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03523.14.46 Author/Creator: Damuth, Dolphus, fl. 1839-1913 Place Written: New Iberia, Louisiana Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 18 December 1863 Pagination: 3 p. : envelope ; 12.5 x 20 cm. Order a Copy

Writes to his sister about the men enlisting in the Veteran Corp. They are mostly older soldiers who will go home to recruit. Discusses the strangeness of seeing some men, who have already served three years, re-enlisting while others pay to get out of the draft and "rob thear wives and children." Describes all the fun soldiers have, running foot races and wrestling ("the Officers indulge in it as well as the men").

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