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.

Smith, David V.M., 1823-1863 to Elizabeth Smith

Order a pdf of this item here.

A high-resolution version of this object is available for registered users. LOG IN

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC04189.02 Author/Creator: Smith, David V.M., 1823-1863 Place Written: Ellicott's Mills, Maryland Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 1862/9/24 Pagination: 4 p. : envelope. Order a Copy

The Confederates camped twenty miles away in Frederick, Maryland. He has "Inflamatory Rheumatism" in his legs. The regiment's officers think that they will all be discharged by Christmas. Smith begs his wife to write him more frequently and adds "I hopes if there is a spark of love left for a sick souldier [sic] in a strange land that you will send it to me in a letter..."

Smith, David V.M., fl. 1862-1863
Smith, Elizabeth, fl. 1862-1863
Smith, Charles, fl. 1862-1863
Smith, John M., fl. 1862-1863

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources