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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.

Sayles, Sumner, fl. 1862-1868 to Isora Sayles

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03523.32.16 Author/Creator: Sayles, Sumner, fl. 1862-1868 Place Written: s.l. Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 21 June 1863 Pagination: 4 p. : envelope ; 18.9 x 23.9 cm. Order a Copy

Writes to his sister. Discusses how a man named Erving A. Porter died. Writes that Erving got up at 3:00 am as usual to get a drink and then went back to bed and never woke up again. His bunk mate found him lying still in the morning with his hand crossed over his breast. Believes that he must have died peacefully. Sends his sympathies to Mrs. Porter. Request that she tell Mash that he must stick it out in his place for if he left nobody would have anything to do with him. Has an embossed seal in the upper corner.

Sayles, Sumner, fl. 1862-1868
Sayles, Isora, fl. 1860-1868

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