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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.

Swain, Julius Marshall, 1835-1811 to his mother

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00653.10.07 Author/Creator: Swain, Julius Marshall, 1835-1811 Place Written: Washington, District of Columbia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: June 7, 1863 Pagination: 4 p. : Height: 24.8 cm, Width: 19.9 cm Order a Copy

Written from Georgetown, in Washington, D.C. He is anxious to take the right classes and pass his exam to prove his worthiness to receive a good commission. He recognizes that his family at home is opposed "to my joining a negro regiment," but is anxious to serve his country. He has ordered a life insurance policy.

Swain, Julius Marshall, 1835-1911

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