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.

Danforth, Thomas, fl. 1689 to Charles Frost

Order a pdf of this item here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC05580 Author/Creator: Danforth, Thomas, fl. 1689 Place Written: s.l. Type: Autograph letter signed Date: February 17, 1689 Pagination: 1 p. : address : docket Height: 30.5 cm, Width: 19.4 cm Order a Copy

Writing to Major Charles Frost in Kittery, Maine, at the beginning of King William's War (1689-1697), Provincial Governor of Massachusetts Thomas Danforth orders him to go to Boston and gather troops: "You shall in all places and by all ways & means to your power take, kill, & destroy ye enemy without limitation of place or time as you shall have opportunity." Mentioned is Lt. Simon Willard (1605-1676). In the margin is a recommendation to Frost of a "Lt. Andrews". It is not known if the date on the piece is old style or new style. Docket reads: "To Maj. Charles Frost in [illegible] In Kittney Lt Andrews. Frost was killed in an Indian ambush in York, Maine, in 1697.

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources