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.

Williams, George M., fl. 1862 to his wife

Order a pdf of this item here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC06582.28 Author/Creator: Williams, George M., fl. 1862 Place Written: Richmond, Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 26 June 1862 Pagination: 4 p. : Order a Copy

Writes that the "roar of cannon & musketry was painfully audible and exceeded the thunder of the fiercest storm." He mentions that General Hill's division fought on his side where his troops drove the enemy three or four miles and captured three batteries. He hopes that God grants that McClellan's army face "total annihilation." He has found that tea costs seventeen dollars despite knowing someone who was able to get the tea for four dollars per pound. He is glad that Pen escaped the battle and that he does not think that the contest will last more than a week or ten days. Writes that in time, "McClellan will be routed or captured." He suspects that McClellan will abscond along the James River. If achieved, McClellan's surrender will be like that of Mack to Napoleon. He says that because of the intrepidity of the soldiers, the enemy will not be able to reach Richmond. He warns her not to buy smuggled goods from Hood and Nelson because the Government will arrest anyone "caught in the traffic."

Williams, George M., fl. 1862-1865
Hill, Ambrose Powell, 1825-1865

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources