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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.

Wheeler, Lysander, 1837-1917 to his parents, [brother-in-law], and sister

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC07460.048 Author/Creator: Wheeler, Lysander, 1837-1917 Place Written: Nashville, Tennessee Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 5 September 1863 Pagination: 4 p. : envelope ; 25 x 20 cm. Order a Copy

Writes that he is encouraged by his mother's message of strength and courage. Mentions that the men are drilling five days out of the week and travel a mile to find suitable ground for drillling. He reports that the 129th Illinois and the 3rd Ohio have joined his brigade. Writes about the dimishing numbers of men in various regiments. He specifically mentions one company of the 75th Illinois in which only six men, two sergeants, and a second lieutenant remain. Wheeler writes that he is glad to hear that "active measures will be used against the copperheads in case they dare resist the Lord." Updates his family on troop movements in Stevenson, Alabama where he had been at the end of August. Writes that their clothing allowance is now forty-two dollars per year. Discusses the inflation of prices and the cut back of the soldier's allowance. Specifically, he writes about the cost of some shirts and stockings and asks if he can be sent some from home. Writes that the stores in the main part of town have so much stock for sale that you would not even know a war was going on.

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