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.

Van Laer, Edward to Charley Taft

High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00653.23 Author/Creator: Van Laer, Edward Place Written: Yorktown Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 25 April 1862 Pagination: 3 p. Order a Copy

Van Laer served in the 1st Battery of the New York Independent Volunteers. Discusses the Battle of Yorktown.

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources