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.

Pickering, Timothy, 1745-1829 to Timothy Pickering, Sr.

Order a pdf of this item here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02325 Author/Creator: Pickering, Timothy, 1745-1829 Place Written: Yorktown, Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: February 23, 1778 Pagination: 2 p. : Height: 25 cm, Width: 19 cm Order a Copy

Colonel Pickering writes a poignant letter to his loyalist father, Deacon Pickering, who he recently learned was gravely ill. Expresses happiness over an improvement in his father's health and regret over their political differences. Thanks his father for his "example & instructions in all the duties to God, and my neighbor." Also states that "altho' the line of action I have pursued has not always been such as you would have chosen...in regard to religion and morality, I hope you have never repented that I was your son." The "prospect for recovery" mentioned was not realized; Deacon Pickering died a few months later.

Pickering, Timothy, 1745-1829
Pickering, Timothy, 1702-1778

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources