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.

Crane, John (1744-1805) to Henry Knox

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.01356 Author/Creator: Crane, John (1744-1805) Place Written: West Point, New York Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 18 February 1782 Pagination: 3 p. : address : docket ; 31.5 x 19.5 cm. Order a Copy

Apologizes for not responding more quickly to Knox, but was waiting for the commissaries to obtain paper so he might prepare the military returns. Refers to the returns from October, November, and December, which he sent out in the beginning of January; says they were prepared together because of the paper shortage. Includes a "a return of all the ordnance and stores of every kind in the department," and describes the amount and type of supplies in their stores, including ammunition, carriages, mortars, and charcoal.

[Excerpt:]
...every kind of animal work is done by the men - the Army here are under small pox...I have upwards of Seventy under the Inoculation at this point therefore business goes on slowly

Crane, John, 1744-1805
Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

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