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.

Parker, William A. (fl. 1864) to Richard T. Renshaw

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02254.22 Author/Creator: Parker, William A. (fl. 1864) Place Written: Dutch Gap, Virginia Type: Letter signed Date: 30 November 1864 Pagination: 1 p. ; 34.2 x 20 cm. Order a Copy

Parker, Commander of the U.S.S. Onondaga, states "you will not employ Negroes as lookouts, as they are not fit to be entrusted with such important duties." Informs Renshaw, Commander of the U.S.S. Massasoit, that "in this Division the strictest discipline must be preserved," and that military vessels will undergo frequent inspection. States that monthly reports will be issued to Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter. Written aboard the Onondaga, on the James River at Dutch Gap.

Throughout the Civil War, approximately 180,000 African Americans served in the Union Army and perhaps as many as 29,000 served in the Navy (McPherson, "Negro's Civil War," 160).

Parker, William A., fl. 1864
Renshaw, Richard T., 1822-1879
Porter, David Dixon, 1813-1891

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