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.

Humphreys, Andrew Atkinson (1810-1883) to Henry Jackson Hunt

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02382.046 Author/Creator: Humphreys, Andrew Atkinson (1810-1883) Place Written: Washington, D.C. Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 4 April 1871 Pagination: 2 p. : envelope ; 17.3 x 23.1 cm. Order a Copy

Refers to an unspecified Board, possibly related to Army Engineers. States that the Board should "assume the proper position [of?] the Engineers as an Army Service as well as an Administration branch of the Service for that would be in accordance with existing laws." Discusses seacoast defenses. Refers to Hunt's "dangerous next door neighbor." A pencil note, possibly written by Hunt, states that the last part of Humphrey's letter refers to a powder magazine next to his quarters at Fort Adams, Rhode Island. Humphreys, a general during the Civil War, held a post-war appointment in the Army Corps of Engineers.

Humphreys, a general during the Civil War, held a post-war appointment in the Army Corps of Engineers. Among various other military posts, Hunt served as Chief of Artillery for the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War.

Humphreys, Andrew Atkinson, 1810-1883
Hunt, Henry Jackson, 1819-1889

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