Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 70,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World to soldiers’ letters from World War II and Vietnam. Explore primary sources, visit exhibitions in person or online, or bring your class on a field trip.

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14 December 1775

Towne, Benjamin (d. 1793)

Newspaper

Title: The Pennsylvania evening post. [Vol. 1, no. 14 (December 14, 1775)]

Includes several letters from mid-October 1775 by Brook Watson in Montreal. As a British officer who owned land in Nova Scotia, Watson pretended to support the American cause in 1774. Intercepted letters to General Thomas Gage proved he was a spy. The letters in this issue were published at the request of Charles Thomson, Secretary of the Continental Congress.

GLC08748.06

10 November 1777

Rollinson, J. (fl. 1777)

Autograph document signed

Title: [Objections of officers of the 20th Regiment to conditions under the Articles of Convention]

Document by the Captains, Subalterns, and staff of the 20th Regiment of Foot asserts that the Americans need to follow through on the stipulations in the Articles of Convention, which delineated the conditions of surrender after the Battle of Saratoga. Says they will not follow the Articles unless the Americans hold up their end of the deal. Asserts that they are acting on their principles of honor, justice and duty.

GLC04764.40

1777-1778

Unknown

Document

Title: Objections, by the 24th Regt.

List of two objections the 24th Regiment of Foot had against the Articles of Convention that delineated the terms of surrender of the British Army after its defeat in the Battle of Saratoga. Seems to be written in the months after the battle at Cambridge, Massachusetts, where prisoners of war were sent, but no exact date or place of creation are provided. First complaint is that officers are not quartered according to rank and that their living spaces are sub-par.

GLC04764.39

1777-1778

Unknown

Autograph document

Title: Advanced Corps

Complaints of the Advanced Corps over the implementation of the Articles of Convention after the Battle of Saratoga. Date inferred from other documents in this collection, which have similar complaints around the end of 1777. Place written inferred from the fact that prisoners of war from the Battle of Saratoga were sent to Cambridge, Massachusetts. They are angry about not being quartered by rank, their early curfew, and the inability to buy items like bread and milk from anyone other than the commissary.

GLC04764.41

1777-1778

Unknown

Autograph document

Title: The Field Officers of the 9th Objections to the Parole

Field officers of the 9th Regiment of Foot sent their complaints against the implementation of the Articles of Convention after the Battle of Saratoga. Date inferred from other documents in this collection listing the complaints of other British units around the end of 1777. Place written inferred from the fact that the prisoners of war after Saratoga were sent to Cambridge, Massachusetts. Objections include: Officers and men not quartered agreeable to the Articles, that they do not receive wood, rations, or provisions, restrictions on the purchasing of items outside the commissary.

GLC04764.42

9 January 1778

Heath, William (1737-1814)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Burgoyne

Written by General Heath as commander of the district where the captured British Convention Army is situated to General Burgoyne, commander of the Convention Army. Complains that British troops are guilty of abusive behavior toward the sentries and guards at Prospect Hill. Says they are repeatedly insulted and at times beat and disarmed. Claims soldiers are "disorderly in the extreme" and that there was singular incident last night, which has forced him to send a number of rioters to a prison ship.

GLC04764.49

10 January 1778

Heath, William (1737-1814)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Burgoyne

Written by General Heath as commander of the district where the captured British Convention Army is situated to General Burgoyne as commander of the Convention Army. References Burgoyne's letter of 9 January 1778. Disagrees with Burgoyne's's assertion that American guards and sentries are provoking British soldiers. Says he has heard the insults and abuses from the British troops are "unparalleled," and says they will no longer occurred with impunity.

GLC04764.50

13 January 1778

Burgoyne, John (1722-1792)

Letter signed

Title: to William Heath

An indigent letter written by General Burgoyne as commander of captured British Convention Army to General Heath as American commander of the district where the Convention Army is located. Marked "No. 45." Burgoyne has made multiple corrections and insertions throughout the letter. References letter he sent the day before, which was entirely on the prosecution of Colonel David Henley. Says he will now take notice of other issues in Heath's letter of 10 January 1778.

GLC04764.53

8 April 1779

Heath, William (1737-1814)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to unknown

Written by Heath as Major General in Continental Army from his hometown of Roxbury to an unknown council. Heath was in charge of the Convention Army, which consisted of the British prisoners of war from the Saratoga campaign. After surrendering in October 1777, they were marched through Albany to Boston, where they remained until February 1779, when they were marched to Virginia. This letter deals with barracks for those prisoners of war at Rutland, Massachusetts.

GLC03376

September 1779

Walton, George (1740-1804)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Benjamin Lincoln

Written by Walton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and Colonel in the First Georgia Battalion who was severely wounded and captured during the Battle of Savannah in December 1778, to Lincoln as commander of the Southern Department. Walton sent Major Habersaw to British General Augustine Prevost to request relief for American prisoners in Sunbury, but Habershaw was denied entry into Savannah. In response, Major Lane was sent with this letter to Lincoln to request relief. Hopes the prisoners can be exchanged for British prisoners or made prisoners at large in America.

GLC01019

25 April 1780

Parsons, Samuel Holden (1737-1789)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Thomas Mumford

Written by Parsons as a Major General in Continental Army to Thomas Mumford, a merchant from Groton, Connecticut. Mumford was also the brother-in-law of Parsons's staff officer Silas Deane. Tells Mumford his son was waiting at home after having escaped from a prison ship in New York Harbor. Mentions that he was grossly abused and "closely confined" on board. After 14 days of confinement he was liberated to the city by a Mr.

GLC00496.075.08

7 March 1781

Marion, Francis (1732-1795)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Saunders

Written by Marion as Brigadier General of militia and a well-known partisan to Saunders as a Royalist Captain in the British Army and commander of the garrison at Georgetown, South Carolina. Marion writes with anger that Captain John Postell was taken prisoner by Saunders. Postell was travelling under a flag of truce to work out details of prisoner exchange. Demands satisfaction and claims he will retaliate against any British prisoners of war. Also expresses dismay that Saunders is treating prisoners harshly.

GLC03332.01

21 April 1781

Arbuthnot, Marriot (1711?-1794)

Letter signed

Title: to George Washington

Written by Admiral Arbuthnot as commander of British naval forces in America to Washington as commander of the Continental Army. References Washington's letter of 25 January 1781 where he expressed anger over the treatment of American naval prisoners of war. Arbuthnot claims an inquiry was held that vindicated their treatment and feeding, which he validates on "my honor." Claims Washington "must have seen" the testimonies of the inquiry. Retorts with accusations against British naval prisoners in Philadelphia by Commissary General of Prisoners Thomas Bradford.

GLC04758

27 November 1781

Manuscript document signed

Title: [Prisoner Petition]

"The Petitioned Number of American Prisoners of War . . .," requesting exchange for British officers and seamen. Penned from Kinial Prison, signed by 10 American POW's.

GLC08390.02

14 March 1783

Metcalf, John (fl. 1783)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Jonathan Metcalf

Written by Metcalf, a captured Continental soldier on the prison ship Jersey in New York Harbor, to his father in Dedham, Massachusetts. Says he enjoys "tollerable good health" and was assisted by a Dr. Bacon of Salem, Massachusetts. Tells his father he has been there a month and sees no prospect for a quick release. Says conditions on the ship are "horrid beyond Description." During the first part of the winter he claimed 10, 15, or 20 prisoners died a day. Says health is better on the ship since there are fewer people on board.

GLC01412.01

7 December 1813 - 2 May 1815

Green, Joseph W. (fl. 1812-1815)

Diary

Title: [Journal of a privateer and of prisoner of war during the War of 1812]

Diary written while aboard the privateer Alfred and as a prisoner of war in Melville Island Prison, Halifax, and Dartmoor Prison. Records many sightings and occasional capturing of ships. Entry on 22 February 1814 records the capture of Green's privateer by the British and being brought to Melville Island Prison at Halifax. Records writing to family and the arrival of new prisoners. Notable entries include mention of a prisoners' petition to General John Mason on 28 April 1814, the reduction of rations on 1 May 1814, the release of 90 prisoners on 23 July 1814.

GLC00498.01

8 March 1814

Boggs, Francis (fl. 1814)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Daniel Fisher

Boggs wrote this as a United States seaman being held as a prisoner of war on a British ship during the War of 1812. Comments on the war and asks for assistance in getting released. He discusses the miseries of the prisoners' situation over the last fifteen months, being forced to work with slaves in service of the British government and having to impress men for service in the British armed forces. Asks for aid for their families. Notes that the two prisoners with him are named Parker Wilcox and William Fox. Fisher is identified as a major.

GLC00890

May 3, 1834

Jackson, Andrew (1767-1845)

Document signed

Title: [Presidential appointment of James Dunlop, William O'Neale, and Thomas Carbery as inspectors of the District of Columbia penitentiary]

Countersigned by Secretary of State Louis McLane. With two engraved portraits of Andrew Jackson. One bust engraving of Jackson included as collateral.

GLC00937

18 October 1843

Thurmond, Alfred S. (1816-1873?)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary A. Willis

Writing from inside the walls of the "Castle of Perote" (Perote Prison), Thurman informs Willis that her husband, O.R. Willis, has died. Praises her deceased husband as a "Patriot and a Gentleman," telling her that he "was highly esteemed" and his "Death was much Lamented by this crowd." Indicates that he and others in the prison are in good health but have no idea when they will be released. Dejected, he comments twice on how his family has forsaken him by not responding to his letters.

GLC06626

3 May 1847

Unknown

Manuscript document signed

Title: Legal document regarding Hiram C. Wells

GLC03131.15.22

3 May 1847

Unknown

Manuscript document signed

Title: Legal document regarding Hiram C. Wells

GLC03131.15.022

1847-1912

Wells, Hiram C. (fl. 1825-1865)

Manuscript

Title: [Collection of Hiram C. Wells]

The collection includes his 1863 diary, military papers and personal and legal papers (mostly pre and post-war). Gives good view of life in cavalry with skirmishes, scouts, etc. Regiment took part in siege of Knoxville. Wells was later captured, imprisoned at Andersonville, and on the Sultana when it exploded, subjects covered in manuscript written in 1880s (includes typed transcript). The diary is approximately 106 pages and spans over the year 1863.

GLC03131.15

12 June 1852

Rood, Delia C., (fl. 1852)

Manuscript document signed

Title: Legal documents regarding the selling of land

GLC03131.15.23

12 June 1852

Rood, Delia C., (fl. 1852)

Manuscript document signed

Title: Legal documents regarding the selling of land

GLC03131.15.023

1854-1887

Various

Header Record

Title: [Letters of Mitchell Pugh, Byrum Hesh, Thomas Mitchell & Eli Pugh, D company, 50th regiment, Virginia, infantry] [decimalized]

Collection of twenty-nine letters, twenty-two of which are war date, from various individuals: Mitchell Pugh, Byrum B. Hesh (or Bryam D. Hash), Thomas F. Mitchell and Eli Pugh of Co. D, 50th Virginia Regiment; A. Pugh of Co. C, 16th North Carolina Cavalry, and William T. (or L.) Perkins. There are also letters to E. L. King, D. Pennington, and Kate.

GLC03135.06

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