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.

Porter, Charles B. (fl. 1860-) to Brother Henry

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02172.18 Author/Creator: Porter, Charles B. (fl. 1860-) Place Written: Camp Arlington Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 20 September 1861
Pagination: 4 p. ; 14 x 22 cm. Order a Copy

He has just come in from picket guard and is quite well. Being on picket is a good way yo keep from getting homesick as it is sometimes exciting. One day a secessionist picket came over and said he was tired of fighting for the secessionist cause.

Porter enlisted early in the War, 19 May 1861, and served until 21 July 1864. The last 4 letters, dated 1865, are from Indiana, where he and his father are herding cattle and setting up a farm and ranch.

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