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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.

Kessler, Thomas J., fl. 1843-1868 to Henry Kessler

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03523.52.56 Author/Creator: Kessler, Thomas J., fl. 1843-1868 Place Written: Richmond, Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 12 June 1864 Pagination: 4 p. : envelope Height: 20.2 cm, Width: 25 cm Order a Copy

Writes to his brother from the battlefield. Complains about someone stealing his letters and the photograph of their mother. Describes shelling being fired above their heads. Reports his band is no longer playing and most of the members are employed as nurses in hospitals. Writes they have plenty of rations and just received new clothing. Comments his new clothes are making him sick; he has a headache. Request he sends him a newspaper and a day book. The letter has a watermark on the top left hand corner. A small fragment of paper is included.

Kessler, Thomas J., fl. 1843-1868
Kessler, Henry, fl. 1864

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