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.

Members of the regiment The story of the twenty-first regiment, Connecticut volunteer infantry, during the Civil War

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00267.245 Author/Creator: Members of the regiment Place Written: Middletown, Connecticut Type: Book Date: 1900 Pagination: 1 v. : xx, 498 p. : ill. ; 21.5 x 15.5 cm. Order a Copy

From the Press of the Stewart Printing Co. Inside front cover signed by "Lucien F. Burpee," who appears to be related to Thomas F. Burpee, one of the colonels of the 21st Connecticut killed during the war. The book plate of Lucien Burpee partially covers his signature. Written because "The survivors of the Twenty-First Regiment of Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, proud of their record and achievements during three years of active service, feel that is due to their children and those who may come after them, that their experiences in camp, in bivouac and on the field of battle should be more fully recorded than has yet been done." The committee appointed by the Regimental Association to compile material consisted of: Captain W.S. Hubbell, Captain D.D. Brown, and Captain A.M. Crane. The work had to be done through the mail because of the committee members lived in different states. Says no known diaries of the regiment were kept and that information was gleaned from remembrance of various soldiers and war time correspondence. Consists of 24 chapters including accounts of battles at Fredericksburg, Cold Harbor, and Fort Harrison, as well as various smaller battles. Separate sections on the death of two of their colonels: Arthur H. Dutton (whose photograph is across from the title page) and Thomas F. Burpee (photograph on page 9). Contains 68 illustrations, many photographs of officers in the unit. Illustrations listed on pages xiii-xv. Book has 448 pages and a 50 page addendum titled "Official Record of the Service of the Men of the Twenty-First Regt., Conn. Vol. Infantry, in the War of the Rebellion." The addendum contains a table of all the soldiers in the unit and includes: name and rank, residence on enlistment, date of muster, and a remarks column. The table is divided into companies A-K. Pebble-grained blue cloth cover, stamped with gilt on front cover and title on spine.

The unit was mustered into service on 5 September 1862 and mustered out on 16 June 1865. Dornbusch 84, I Nevins 72. Bookplate of Lucien Burpee

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