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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 his aunt

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02016.096 Author/Creator: Painter, Heber (1841-1900) Place Written: Louisa [County] Court House, Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 25 December 1865 Pagination: 3 p. ; 25 x 20 cm. Order a Copy

Written to his aunt, Mrs. George A. Frick (Rebecca Frick). Writes that he must stay in command of his post during the holidays in fear that there will be an insurrection by blacks. Writes that blacks and whites came together for Christmas, yet this has been the dullest Christmas he's ever had with the exception of last year. He will be very busy working on pay roll and other business for the end of the fourth quarter. Writes that he's been having much trouble with his freedmen duties and is on the brink of resigning.

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
Frick, Rebecca, fl. 1803-1862

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