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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.

West, Lewis H., 1829-? to R. West

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03836.15 Author/Creator: West, Lewis H., 1829-? Place Written: Alexandria, Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 13 August 1861 Pagination: 3 p. : docket ; Height: 24.6 cm, Width: 19.6 cm Order a Copy

References her letter of 9 August. Also received a letter from Hill from 9 August. Sent documents to Jim Roosevelt (a merchant who employed West before the war) that Hill requested to be sent. Says there is no set timeframe for his ship going out to sea, as many of the crew are still serving at Fort Dahlgren. Says he likes the new captain and that "I begin to hope, that we have at last got the right man in the right place since McClellan has taken command; nobody knows what he is about, or how many troops he has here." Says the Fire Zouaves are going home and hopes they stay there "for a more insubordinate set of rascals never existed."

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