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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.

Beach, Elias William (1841-1921) [Diary 1865]

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00919.23.06 Author/Creator: Beach, Elias William (1841-1921) Place Written: [various places] Type: Diary Date: 1 January 1865 - 15 November 1865 Pagination: 1 vol. ; approx. 190 p. ; 10.4 x 7 cm. Order a Copy

Autograph manuscript signed. Filled with news of military activity. Excerpt from entry for 3 April 1865: "Richmond fell at 8 oclock this morning. Genl Benham was the first Genl in the city... Rebels evacuated. The President and Genl Grant & Meade... the people much rejoiced to be under the old flag again... about 8,000 rebel prisoners were brought in this afternoon..."

Beach was a member of the 50th New York Volunteer Engineers.

Beach, Elias William, 1841-1921

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