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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.

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

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC04558.122.01 Author/Creator: Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918 Place Written: Folly Island, South Carolina Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 8 November 1863 Pagination: 4 p. : Height: 21 cm, Width: 13.5 cm Order a Copy

Describes picket duty on the north side of the island and how his thoughts roam. Expectations of assault on Fort Sumter. Promises to send Edwin's letter (mentioned in #117 and accompanies this item). He writes "Not that I have any objections to his advocating abolition but I dont acknowledge his right to 'jump to conclusions,' and call hard names. Would you? If I were to answer[,] it should to say the least have to tell him that a 'radical' of his stamp I have not found in the Union army, as yet, and that however plenty they may be in his section, they have'nt [sic] the courage, to come and fight for the thing which they so loudly clammer."

Tillotson, George W., 1830-1918

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