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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.

Smith, David V. M. (1823-1863) to Elizabeth Smith

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC04189.52 Author/Creator: Smith, David V. M. (1823-1863) Place Written: Bristow Station, Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 8 August 1863 Pagination: 4 p. : envelope ; 20.4 x 25 cm. Order a Copy

The regiment is once again on picket duty. He discusses losses to the regiment and the Battle of Gettysburg, "but I hope that we shall never get into another fight like that at Gettysburg Pa for it was awful beyond Discription I cannot discribe it with my pencil but if I do not get to come home myself this fall I will try to give you or Charley a slight sketch of it but I think you would not care to Read the details of the fight as it was. I will just say I sit on my knees by the side of Stone fence & loaded & fired my gun until I had blisters on my fingers as big as 10 cent peaces from Ramming down the loads & my gun was so hot I could not touch the Barrel with my hands & so was most the other I never wanted to load & shoot so fast in all my life before."

Private in the 12th New Jersey Volunteers.

Smith, David V.M., fl. 1862-1863
Smith, Elizabeth, fl. 1862-1863
Smith, Charles, fl. 1862-1863
Smith, John M., fl. 1862-1863

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