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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.

Gardiner, Asa Bird (1839-1919) to Henry Jackson Hunt

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02382.118 Author/Creator: Gardiner, Asa Bird (1839-1919) Place Written: Glencoe, Maryland Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 19 August 1874 Pagination: 4 p. : envelope ; 20.2 x 25.4 cm. Order a Copy

Gardiner, a Civil War veteran from New York, relates that he recently visited West Point. Discusses the false claims of a young man in Louisville, Kentucky, who is posing as Hunt's son. The young man had introduced himself to some of Hunt's acquaintances there, including General Sloan, Medical Director of the Department of the South. Of the incident, remarks "It is a rich drama- and I am only sorry that a distance of a thousand miles- prevents the tow of your boot giving a finale to the reverse of the medal of the young scamp."

Hunt had served as Chief of Artillery for the Army of the Potomac. After the Civil War, he occupied various military posts; in the early 1870s Hunt commanded Fort Adams, Newport, Rhode Island. Gardiner published several works on military topics. After the war, Gardiner served as Secretary-General of the Society of the Cincinnati and District Attorney of New York County.

Hunt, Henry Jackson, 1819-1889
Gardiner, Asa Bird, 1839-1919

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