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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.

Moylan, Stephen, 1737-1811 to Stephen Hughes

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02499.14 Author/Creator: Moylan, Stephen, 1737-1811 Place Written: s.l. Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 9 September 1776 Pagination: 1p. : docket ; Height: 29.5 cm, Width: 20.7 cm Order a Copy

Written by Colonel Moylan as Quartermaster General to Hughes. Trying to procure boards. Says Washington has called upon them to exert themselves in the creation of barracks and to procure bricks, lime, stones, shingles, and whatever else is needed. Wants enough housing for 20,000 soldiers. Washington wants the engineers and commanding officers to work together to select the spots for building and where to collect materials. Wants him to send all the shingles he can get from "town" and send them to "Kingsbridge." Wants to know where bricks and lime can be found. Believes they can comply with Washington's commands, but they cannot waste time because "the enemy can take the town from us whenever they please."

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