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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.

Burgoyne, John, 1722-1792 to William Heath

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC04764.59 Author/Creator: Burgoyne, John, 1722-1792 Place Written: Cambridge, Massachusetts Type: Letter Date: January 24, 1778 Pagination: 1 p. : address : docket Height: 22.3 cm, Width: 18.6 cm Order a Copy

Written by General Burgoyne as commander of the captured British Convention Army to General Heath as American commander of the district where the Convention Army is situated. This is a clerical copy created by someone on Heath's staff. Marked at the top "No. 4 Copy of a Letter from Lt. G. B." Docket says it was copied for Congress. References letter from Heath received 22 January 1778. Apologizes for the tardy reply, but says business of the court martial of Colonel David Henley has taken up all his time. Says the officers's fusees (sidearms) are being held by him and will not be returned while they remain in Cambridge. Says they are private property and says he will need time to reflect on any request of Heath's to take custody of them. Claims he needs to give the request for the personal information of his soldiers before they embark for Britain more thought and hopes the delay will not cause too many problems. Marked "58."

Kingston, Robert M., fl. 1776-1779

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