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.

Garrett, John W., fl. 1861 To: Gov. Thomas Hicks.

Order a pdf of this item here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC07968 Author/Creator: Garrett, John W., fl. 1861 Place Written: Washington, District of Columbia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 1861/?/17 Pagination: 1 p. : envelope Height: 25.2 cm, Width: 20.3 cm Order a Copy

Regarding Garrett's conversation with Lincoln: "Gentlemen, the salvation of the union depends upon your state. If Maryland...secedes, civil war is inevitable."

Garrett, John W., fl. 1861
Hicks, Thomas Holliday, 1798-1865
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources