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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.

Moore, John, 1826-1907 to James Kelly

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC04193.03 Author/Creator: Moore, John, 1826-1907 Place Written: Fort Meyers, Florida Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 20 October 1854 Pagination: 4 p. : Height: 25.5 cm, Width: 19.5 cm Order a Copy

Responds to the drought and lack of food. Reports a visit to King Billy Bowlegs, presenting Bowlegs's sister with "rot gut" whiskey. Inquires about the upcoming county elections in Ohio. "I was out in the woods some distance about a week ago, with the Indian agent, to see King Bowlegs and twenty or thirty of his warriors. He was very polite, spread skins for us on the ground and an awning over head to keep off the sun. All passed off very orderly and quietly, the King and his warriors seated crosslegged around us. When Billy spoke all the others kept a respectful silence."

Moore, John, 1826-1907
Kelly, James R., 1839-1862

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