Our Collection

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.

Polk, Leonidas, 1806-1864 to Thomas J. Churchill

Order a pdf of this item here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03820 Author/Creator: Polk, Leonidas, 1806-1864 Place Written: Columbus, Kentucky Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 16 October 1861 Pagination: 3 p. : docket ; 25.5 x 19.5 cm. Order a Copy

Major General Polk (Confederate) informs Colonel Churchill "In the absence of Gnl Johnston your letter has been handed to me. I regret to say we have no arms to offer your command." Replies to a question posed by Major General Lewis (possibly Joseph Horace Lewis), stating "we would receive your Regt with this Column with pleasure if it were offered and armed." Instructs Churchill to place three new guns (which were, according to Lewis, in the Cumberland Gap) at General Felix Kirk Zollicoffer's disposal. Discusses the acquisition of guns and horses for Zollicoffer's reinforcement.

Polk, Leonidas, 1806-1864
Churchill, Thomas J., 1824-1905
Zollicoffer, Felix Kirk, 1812-1862
Lewis, Joseph Horace, 1824-1904
Johnston, Albert Sidney, 1803-1862

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources