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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.

Jackson, Richard H. (fl. 1861-1864) to Father

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC07705.021 Author/Creator: Jackson, Richard H. (fl. 1861-1864) Place Written: Cape Hatteras, North Carolina Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 12 September 1861 Pagination: 8 p. : docket ; 20.2 x 24.7 cm. Order a Copy

Written onboard a steamer. He describes Fort Hattera where they met two schooners on their way to Philadelphia. They have captured five vessels since the boys have been there. He describes the island as the one that Robinson Crusoe lived on. The fishing is first class, but the water is awful. There are no wells and the water is almost unfit to drink.

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