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.

Davis, Aaron (1709-1777) to Jonathan Medcalf

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC01412.22 Author/Creator: Davis, Aaron (1709-1777) Place Written: Roxbury, Massachusetts Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 22 July 1776 Pagination: 1 p. : address ; 17 x 20 cm. Order a Copy

Discusses appointment of William Draper of Roxbury as captain of a company being raised for Canada. Also inquires about the amount and type of camp baggage available for the company. Written when the American forces were in retreat from Canada. American troops were forced to leave their siege of Quebec in May 1776 after the spring weather allowed British ships to bring reinforcements. They eventually fell back to Fort Ticonderoga.

Draper, William, fl. 1776

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