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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.

Mortimer, Caleb C.E. (1835-1862) to his wife

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC01898.17 Author/Creator: Mortimer, Caleb C.E. (1835-1862) Place Written: Yorktown, Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 14 April 1862 Pagination: 4 p. : envelope ; 20 x 12.5 cm. Order a Copy

Describes some action in the Peninsular campaign and the Battle of Yorktown. "...there will not probably be much fighting here for some days yet as they are landing our siege guns and mortars and getting them into position the rebels are in large force and strongly entrenched their works extend from the York to the James rivers in the form of a half circle." States General George B. McClellan is here to supervise "the engagements for the coming contest and the troops have the utmost confidence in him as a leader." Written from Camp Winfield Scott.

Caleb Mortimer enlisted on 5 September 1861 as a 1st Lieutenant and was commissioned into the Massachusetts 3rd Light Artillery. He was wounded at Gaines' Mill, Virginia on 27 June 1862 and died the next day.

Mortimer, Caleb C.E., 1835-1862

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