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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.

Painter, Heber (1841-1900) to sister Kate

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02016.068 Author/Creator: Painter, Heber (1841-1900) Place Written: Chaffin's Farm, Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 20 November 1864 Pagination: 4 p. ; 25.5 x 19.5 cm. Order a Copy

Complains of the constant rain and writes that he desires a good pair of boots, as he has been "enjoying the luxury of wet feet" for the past three days. Gives news of the arrival of General Early's troops. Writes that two hundred new Pennsylvania recruits joined the regiment, ten of which joined Company I. States that the company is improving in numbers with a total of 720 men.

Before joining the service, Painter was a trained printer from Danville, Pennsylvania. He was mustered as a private into F Company of the 58th Pennsylvania infantry on 8 October 1861 and transferred to I Company on 1 March 1862. While in I Company, he was promoted to Sergeant and eventually mustered out on 21 January 1866 as First Lieutenant. Painter also held a post as Quartermaster's clerk, and performed freedman duties shortly after the war ended.

Painter, Heber, 1841-1900
Painter, Catherine, fl. 1844-1870

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