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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.

Lincoln, Mary Todd, 1818-1882 to Sally Orne

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC09395 Author/Creator: Lincoln, Mary Todd, 1818-1882 Place Written: s.l. Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 29 November 1869 Pagination: 8 p. : Order a Copy

To Sally Orne regarding her pension fight with Congress, friendship with Senator Charles Sumner, and Lincoln: "My bright little comforter Taddie, is of course with me today… The darkness is very great - we can only pray - that the dawn is at hand…If we fail, I fear, I shall sink under the blow. I have grown so nervous."4 p.
With additional 4 pages, headed "Private & Burn." Though Turner calls this a separate incomplete letter, which he dates to 12-12-1869, it may be a lengthy postscript to the first letter:
"My husband was so richly blessed with all these noble attributes that each day makes me worship his memory - more & more - Tomorrow is the anniversary of my birthday - I will be 46 and I feel 86 - my husband always so playfully and tenderly reminded me of the day, if I affected to forget it. He was 14 years and 10 months older than myself, & was from my eighteenth year - Always - lover - husband - father & all all to me - Truly my all."

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