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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.

Phelps, Diton, fl. 1861-1864 to his mother

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03523.49.11 Author/Creator: Phelps, Diton, fl. 1861-1864 Place Written: Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 23 November 1862 Pagination: 4 p. : Height: 20 cm, Width: 26.6 cm Order a Copy

Writes about the preacher at camp. Comments that he is a good man but is not very smart. Says that he went to the preacher last night and was given a prayer book. States that he reads a chapter in the testament out loud every night before retiring. Reports that Captain Daniel Bradbury is to be court marshaled tomorrow for leaving his post while on picket duty. He has heard that the Captain might have to hand in his resignation. Assures his mother that she does not need to worry about him wasting his money on liquor, as he has never spent a cent on it in his life. Describes an older gentleman dying in his tent from drinking. Writes that he "died in his quarters from the effect of drinking so much poisoned whiskey. He had been on quite a [drain] for the past week & Thursday night he was taken to bleeding to the stomach & died Friday night, he drank so much it eat through his stomach."

Phelps, Diton, fl. 1861-1864

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