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.

Peirce, Joseph (1745-1828) to Henry Knox

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.05007 Author/Creator: Peirce, Joseph (1745-1828) Place Written: Boston, Massachusetts Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 19 June 1791 Pagination: 3 p. : address : docket ; 32.5 x 20.2 cm. Order a Copy

Marked "private." Peirce says he wrote Knox last on 16 June. On 17 June the estate sale took place. After a short conversation he had with Mr. Thomas the sale went forwarded and succeeded. Says that "Mr Fluckers residue (as by the advertisement), of the Patent was knock'd off to Dr. Oliver Smith (from whom is the enclosed Letter) for Three thousand dollars." Reports that the rights to the Welch house "was knockd off to Genl Jackson for 100 dollars." Will have the deeds drawn and executed as soon as possible. Wants to know how much of a commission to pay the auctioneers. Mentions that an "occupant" is to be ejected from land and that the buyer wants to own the improvements. The creditors claim that this cannot happen as they own the improvements. Says that Mr. Otis has "employd a very good fellow" to watch over the Hampshire property. Third page has "Copy of Conditions of Sale" on a piece of property in Boston, which appears to describe the Smith or Jackson purchase mentioned earlier in this document.

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806
Peirce, Joseph, 1745-1828

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