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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 brother-in-law, parents and sister

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC07460.083 Author/Creator: Wheeler, Lysander, 1837-1917 Place Written: s.l. Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 24 June 1864 Pagination: 4 p. : envelope Height: 20.4 cm, Width: 25.2 cm Order a Copy

Written at the Camp of the 105th Illinois regiment. He is unharmed and doing well. His corps, the 20th, has been joined by the 23rd Corps. Others have told him the corps are only a few miles from Marietta, Georgia. Reports that both armies are putting up strong breastworks within rifle range of each other. His brigade advanced against the rebels under fire from their works until they came into some thick woods. They got to within 40 feet of the rebel breastworks. Writes that the 4th Corps was engaged with the enemy in a "sharp" fight. The Confederates counterattacked but the Union's batteries were already in place and killed many of the Confederate soldiers. Yesterday the rebels retrieved their dead reports say the number of dead ranged between 500 and 2000. States that the campaign is very long and that General William T. Sherman is forcing the rebels to right or retreat. Writes that the Union has lost many brave men but they still fight on. The Confederates are still in goods spirits despite their losses.

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