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.

Slayton, Asa W., fl. 1862-1875 to citizens of Grattan Michigan

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03955.15 Author/Creator: Slayton, Asa W., fl. 1862-1875 Place Written: Grattan, Michigan Type: Autograph manuscript Date: August 1862 Pagination: 10 p. : envelope Height: 21.6 cm, Width: 13.6 cm Order a Copy

Slayton thanks the committee for their recognition, but accepts the sword on the behalf of all the men who have enlisted. Slayton recognizes that enslaved people are being used to aide the Confederates and that the continued allowance of slavery is hurting the Union cause. He then urges people to petition the government to the end slavery. He also describes the motivations of married men to fight. He expresses his commitment to the Union cause. Included is an envelope the envelope in which this written copy of the speech was kept with an inscription describing the contents.

Slayton, Chester, fl. 1863-1864

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