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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.

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806 to George Washington

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.10155 Author/Creator: Knox, Henry, 1750-1806 Place Written: West Point, New York Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 2 October 1783 Pagination: 2 p. : docket ; Height: 35.3 cm, Width: 22.8 cm Order a Copy

Knox, Commander at West Point, reports that he did not receive Washington's two most recent dispatches. Plans to continue to "discharge the invalids and those whose times of service may shortly expire." Requires Washington's instructions regarding preparing the barracks [at West Point] for 3,000 men for the winter. Remarks, "The british unreasonably protract the evacuation of New York. They appear to be ready either to go or stay as shall be most condusive [sic] to their views." Major [Sebastian] Bauman, recently in New York, reported that the British "would not get away untill December. If his conjecture should be right they will hardly go at that time. Your Excellency is probably posses'd of such information, as to enable you to decide with precision as per their intuitions." Notes that Lieutenant Colonel Villefranche (Chevalier de Villefranche), Major [Pierre] L'Enfant, and Major [Stephen] Rochefontaine "would be well pleased to stay in the American Service. They wish however to retain their rank in the french Army and to go to France this winter."

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806
Washington, George, 1732-1799
Villefranche, Jean-Louis-Ambroise de Genton, chevalier de, 1747-1784
L'Enfant, Pierre Charles, 1754-1825
Rochefontaine, Stephen, 1755-1814
Bauman, Sebastian, 1739-1803

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