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.

Maury, William Lewis, 1813-1878 to Nan [Maury]

Order a pdf of this item here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC04572.25 Author/Creator: Maury, William Lewis, 1813-1878 Place Written: s.l. Type: Autograph letter signed Date: February 7, 1865 Pagination: 4 p. : Height: 20.5 cm, Width: 25 cm Order a Copy

Year inferred from content. Mentions the peace conference between Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens, President Lincoln and General U. S. Grant. "I hope that it [the outcome of the conference] will have the effect to unite our people & convince the faint hearted that the only road to peace is a vigorous prosecution of the war." Discusses the health and bereavements of friends in Richmond. His comments on the bereavement of Mrs. Sinclair on the loss of her husband may be a reference to the death of Confederate States Navy Commander Arthur Sinclair when his blockade runner sank with all hands in early 1865. Mentions rumors of a general prisoner exchange.

Maury, William Lewis, 1813-1878
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865
Stephens, Alexander Hamilton, 1812-1883
Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources