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.

Shaw, Samuel (1754-1794) to John Ruddock

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.01460 Author/Creator: Shaw, Samuel (1754-1794) Place Written: New Windsor, New York Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 20 June 1782 Pagination: 2 p. : docket ; 20.9 x 16.5 cm. Order a Copy

Writes that Knox would like "an exact return of all the fire arms and accoutrements in [his] charge" by noon the next day, along with information on how many were in good repair and how many were not, as well as how many have bayonets. Also mentions that Knox was unhappy with Ruddock's most recent return, because Ruddock described quantities of items using non-standardized measurements, such as barrels, casks, and cases: "Casks" may "hold five gallons or an hundred, and the term chest or case is equally indefinite." Reports that Knox would like Ruddock to be more exact when measuring the inventory, specifying how many items each container holds.

Shaw, Samuel, 1754-1794
Ruddock, John, fl. 1779-1796

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