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.

Jones, John (1862-1864) [Collection of John Jones, Company F, 45th regiment, Illinois, infantry] [decimalized]

High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC05981 Author/Creator: Jones, John (1862-1864) Place Written: s.l. Type: Header Record Date: 1862-1864 Pagination: 55 letters Order a Copy

Contains vivid battle descriptions and political content. On 13 March 1863, he writes of his opposition to a $300 fee to avoid draft "based precisely on the same principle with the conscription of the 'Southern Confederacy' which exempts a man owning twenty negros.... " He also writes of "Union Jim our gallant contraband [cook who] shot one secesh and took two prisoners... so much for a nigger... some of them are as brave as any whites, give them a chance to fight and see whether or no they will disgrace our cause. Away with this prejudice of color...." John P. Jones served in the Illinois 45th Infantry.

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources