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.

Lee, Charles, 1731-1782 to Chairman of the Committee of Botetourt

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02486 Author/Creator: Lee, Charles, 1731-1782 Place Written: Williamsburg, Virginia Type: Letter signed Date: 19 April 1776 Pagination: 1 p. : address : docket Height: 12.8 cm, Width: 21.7 cm Order a Copy

Written by Major General Lee as commander of the Southern Department. Says the spirit of desertion is on the rise and endangers the safety of the colonies. Requests the committee to exert themselves to secure deserters.

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