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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.

Edwards, Daniel, fl. 1863-1865 to John Reeser

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03523.43.07 Author/Creator: Edwards, Daniel, fl. 1863-1865 Place Written: Clear Spring, Maryland Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 21 July 1863 Pagination: 4 p. : envelope Height: 19 cm, Width: 23.1 cm Order a Copy

Describes the camp being nice and seeing the Potomac River. Reports seeing plenty of rebels that "are hard looking fases some of them are very neare naked and as dirty as hogs…" Mentions being able to wash every week and having a "sporting horse he can run with any and in the crowd when the spirs comes down he has to get up and run." Comments on being hungry when soldiering and "could eat the pork raw." Describes marching for two days and nights in the mud. Inquires about who has been drafted from Lancaster, Pennsylvania and Chester, Pennsylvania. Complains about the rebels taking all of the paper.

Edwards, Daniel, fl. 1863-1865
Reeser, John, fl. 1862-1865

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