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.

Bonham, James (1807-1836) [James B. Bonham's signature clipped from a letter]

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC01169 Author/Creator: Bonham, James (1807-1836) Place Written: s.l. Type: Signature Date: no date Pagination: 1 p. ; 6 x 9 cm. Order a Copy

Clipped signature with the words: "Yours / James B. Bonham / my horse comes."

James B. Bonham, officer and lawyer, was a second lieutenant at the Battle of the Alamo. Sent from the siege to get help, he returned with a promise of support, but the battle ended three days later, before any could arrive. Bonham died during the battle, and has become one of its most romanticized figures, largely because of the often misrepresented note that he carried.

Bonham, James B., 1807-1836

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