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.

Banks, Nathaniel Prentiss (1816-1894) to James Sanks Brisbin

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC01504.02.01 Author/Creator: Banks, Nathaniel Prentiss (1816-1894) Place Written: New Orleans, Louisiana Type: Typed letter Date: 30 June 1864 Pagination: 1 p. Order a Copy

Typed and signed as a true copy by Albert L. Mills as First Lieutenant and Adjutant First Cavalry. Banks informs Colonel Brisbin that "while many Officers are censured or praised without sufficient reason for their services in the Red River Campaign, I am glad, that you should get just credit for what you did which was of service to the country and honorable to yourself. " These typewritten copies date to circa 1887-1891 based on Mill's rank and assignment at the time.

The Red River campaign, led by Union Major General Nathaniel P. Banks and Confederate Major General Richard Taylor, was fought from 10 March to 22 May 1864 along the Red River in Louisiana. The Red River campaign was a Union failure and ended Banks' military career.

Mills, Albert L., 1854-1916
Banks, Nathaniel Prentiss, 1816-1894
Brisbin, James S. (James Sanks),1837-1892

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