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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 Valkenburgh, Gerrit S. (fl. 1860-1866) to Mary B. Van Valkenburgh

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00686.25 Author/Creator: Van Valkenburgh, Gerrit S. (fl. 1860-1866) Place Written: Pine Bluff, Arkansas Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 28 March 1866 Pagination: 3 p. ; 20.1 x 12.5 cm. Order a Copy

Gerrit writes to his mother Mary, declaring that he wrote two or three weeks ago, but he knows many of his letters do not make it, so he is writing again. Reports that he has recovered from his bout of Erysipelas and that he weighs more now than he ever has (Gerrit also suffered from the disease in February 1865; see GLC00686.06). Says he has not suffered from chills since January. Mentions that communication in Arkansas is not good because of the lack of bridges. Discusses his garden and fields.

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