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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.

Semmes, Alexander, 1825-1885 to Edward Richard Archer

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC01896.031 Author/Creator: Semmes, Alexander, 1825-1885 Place Written: Woosung, China Type: Autograph letter signed Date: August 29, 1859 Pagination: 1 p. : Height: 32 cm, Width: 20 cm Order a Copy

Praise from a lieutenant serving on the steamer "Soeyman" for Archer for his good service. "It gives me pleasure to State that your correct department, your qualifications for, and attention to, your duties during the time & over three months you have been under my command, were such as to merit my highest approbation." Semmes was a cousin of Confederate naval hero Raphael Semmes. Alexander Semmes stayed loyal to the Union, commanding vessels in the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron throughout the war. He was promoted to captain in 1873. Semmes was with the East Indian Squadron at the time of this letter.

Semmes, Alexander, 1825-1885
Archer, Edward Richard, 1834-1918

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