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.

Higginson, Stephen (1743-1828) to Henry Knox

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.04553 Author/Creator: Higginson, Stephen (1743-1828) Place Written: Boston, Massachusetts Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 17 March 1790 Pagination: 2 p. : docket ; 23.1 x 18.7 cm. Order a Copy

Asks Knox to help his son obtain a position in the military. Higginson's son, John, previously served as an Ensign under General Jackson. He is now employed as commander of a ship, overseeing its cargo, but wants to change careers and become a soldier again: "[B]efore he sailed last, he told me, that he should prefer being a Captain in the Army, to the situation of an [eminant] & wealthy merchant." Reports that his son is abroad, but will return in two months; asks that if Knox raises any new troops during that time, he reserve a spot for John Higginson, "if that be not improper." Congratulates Knox on the progress and growth of the new government.

Higginson, Stephen, 1743-1828
Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

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