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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.

Swisher, James S., fl. 1863 to Lydia A. Bishoff

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03523.40.23 Author/Creator: Swisher, James S., fl. 1863 Place Written: Rowlsburg, Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 18 March 1863 Pagination: 4 p. : Height: 21.3 cm, Width: 25.7 cm Order a Copy

He got his likeness taken and intends to send it to Bishoff the first chance he gets. But he tells her not to get "Scarred when you se it for it is ugly Enough to Scare the Devill out of his shoes." Swisher suggests that Bishoff hang the likeness up in the cornfield to scare the crows out next summer

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