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.

Miller, Michael Murray (1861-1864) to Lile Miller

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02155.035 Author/Creator: Miller, Michael Murray (1861-1864) Place Written: Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 20 February 1862 Pagination: 4 p. ; 19.3 x 15.7 cm. Order a Copy

Written at Camp Pierpont to his wife. Writes, "...Please do not let one secession thought enter your heart for not for the world would i have you entertain one Secession principle... think of the stain that Rests on the second and third generation of the tories of the Revolution, and you will find that in after years the same stain will Rest on the children of the traitors now in the country we are not fighting to set darkeys free if they would make that the issue the army of the Potomac would Be Broke up Before two weeks, Dear Lile i am a stiffer Democrat now i think than i was when i entered the army But i must say that the President A Lincoln has proved himself a man, and has defeated all the Abolitionists plans so far and our glorious your Commander Genl McClellan, there never was a Better man lived, he leads a Bible class every Sunday... where such a man leads there can be nothing else but certain victory..."

Miller, Michael M
McClellan, George B., 1826-1885
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

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