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.

Blackman, James A. (fl. 1861-1865) to Mary Blackman

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02159.05 Author/Creator: Blackman, James A. (fl. 1861-1865) Place Written: Fredericksburg, Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 25 January 1863 Pagination: 2 p. : envelope ; 25 x 19.5 cm. Order a Copy

Writes to his mother. Mentions General Ambrose Burnside, "Burnsides under took to cross the river gain and he had to give it up for the night before he intended to cross it commced[sic] to rain...the roads was so mudy that was all most imposabel for infentrey to get along much more Artillry and supplies for such a large army..." Mentions Generals William B. Franklin and Joseph Hooker. States many men are sick or have died and many are discouraged with the war.

James A. Blackman served in the Rhode Island 7th Infantry from September 1862 to October 1863. He was transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps, 23rd Regiment on 29 October 1863 where he served until the end of the war.

Blackman, James A., fl. 1861-1865

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