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 #: GLC02155.102 Author/Creator: Miller, Michael Murray (1861-1864) Place Written: Fairfax Station, Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 24 May 1863 Pagination: 4 p. ; 20 x 13.3 cm. Order a Copy

Writes, "... the different Regts keep the People that live around here, they come into camp and gather up all the Bread meat an coffee the Boys do not make use of which is not a little, they are generally women and children, and I must say I should care to have a wife or sister of mine traveling around camp as they do for they must hear and see things in camp which would not Be pleasant to a decent woman..." Goes on to compare the poverty of the area in Virginia to the relative comfort of his hometown (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania). Ironically remarks that he hopes war will not touch home, noting, "god Preserve Penna from ever Becoming what Virginia is, if the Southern People were the instigators of this Rebellion they are Paying the Penalty..."

Miller, Michael M

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