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.

Welles, Gideon (1802-1878) to William Willard

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00517 Author/Creator: Welles, Gideon (1802-1878) Place Written: Washington, D.C. Type: Manuscript letter signed Date: 5 October 1865 Pagination: 3 p. : docket ; 34 x 21 cm. Order a Copy

Informs Willard, the Warden of the State Prison at Wethersfield, Connecticut, that he is ordering him to imprison five sailors convicted of capital crimes: Wesley B. McLane, James Wilson, James Brown, James Stivers and Francis Johnson. Details the causes of their convictions and the length of their sentences.

Gideon Welles was the Secretary of the Navy.
William Willard was the Warden of the

Welles, Gideon, 1802-1878
Willard, William, 1818-1870

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