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.

Laurens, John, 1754-1782 to Henry Knox

Order a pdf of this item here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.01259 Author/Creator: Laurens, John, 1754-1782 Place Written: Yorktown, Virginia Type: Autograph document signed Date: 24 October 1781 Pagination: 1 p. + addr. + docket Order a Copy

Colonel Laurens communicates George Washington's request that Knox send "one of the pieces taken in the Redout [sic] by the french troops...to the regiment of Gattenois." This was in accordance with general orders issued 20 October 1781. The ordnance was seized in the Battle of Yorktown. Laurens had marched to Yorktown as an aide to General George Washington.

Laurens, John, 1754-1782
Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources