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.

Mansfield, Joseph K.F., 1803-1862 to A. T. Goodman

Order a pdf of this item here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC05042.01 Author/Creator: Mansfield, Joseph K.F., 1803-1862 Place Written: Hampton, Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 10 November 1861 Pagination: 1 p. : Height: 20.3 cm, Width: 12.6 cm Order a Copy

General Mansfield replies to Goodman's request for his autograph. Says "You ask my autograph - If I could close this unhappy war as easily as I can comply with your complementary request, I should be happy. We are now engaged in a contest from which there is no retreating. We battle for principle, and our glorious institutions, and the word should be onward; and may the Great God who rules over all, guide our steps and conduct us to a happy end."
Written at Fort Monroe.

Mansfield, Joseph King Fenno, 1803-1862
Goodman, Alfred Thomas, 1845-1871

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources