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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.

Donahue, Thomas, fl. 1863 to Almira Winchell

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC04706.04 Author/Creator: Donahue, Thomas, fl. 1863 Place Written: Warrenton, Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 29 October 1863 Pagination: Order a Copy

Describes hard marching between Culpepper and Centreville, and crossing the old Bull Run Battlefield where the skeletons of those killed were visible. Writes, "[L]ast week we Crossed the old bull run battle Field and we could See lots of Skeletons of men killed there a year ago and were left on top... if I were home and See that I would think it an awful but to See a dead man here, why it haint nothing. I have Seen dead Rebels at the Battle of Antietam lay right in the road and the wheels of the Guns would run over them..."

Winchell, Almira, fl. 1862-1865

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