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.

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918 To his wife

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC04558.055 Author/Creator: Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918 Place Written: Camp near Fredericksburg, [Virginia] Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 23 November 1862 Pagination: 4 p. : Height: 23.5 cm, Width: 18 cm Order a Copy

Rainy weather, rebels hold city, rebel pickets taunting about election, Bull Run and Antietam; Colonel courtmartialed twice for drunkenness but cleared, Colonel and regiment's surgeon trying to get regiment out of battle area, soldiers mutilating themselves to get discharged, Italian soldier bayoneting a fellow Italian, with final note dated 11/24 3 AM regarding marching orders. Signature followed by postscript "The orders to march today is countermanded 5 oclock A.M." The letter is continued on October 24th.

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

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