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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.

Nesmith, James (fl. 1796) to Henry Knox

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.06664 Author/Creator: Nesmith, James (fl. 1796) Place Written: Northport, Maine Type: Manuscript letter signed Date: 15 March 1796-18 March 1796 Pagination: 3 p. : address : docket ; 31.2 x 19.4 cm. Order a Copy

Signed by Knowlton, Nesmith, and several other parties. Write to inform Knox that they have heard from Alexander Campbell that the inhabitants of Ducktrap, Maine, have joined together to oppose Knox's land ownership rights in the region. Wanted to clarify for Knox the position of the town of Northport on the subject. Several Northport citizens came to Knowlton, Nesmith, and the other authors (who are the town's assessors) to set up a meeting about Knox's ownership. They were encouraged to set up the meeting by "that infamous villain [Samuel] Ely." The assessors held no meeting, and the citizens who wanted a meeting now seem "sensible of their error." They have not heard news about how other towns in the area are handling the issue. A note dated 18 March, written by James Nesmith, informs Knox that the sheriff has just received a writ against Samuel Ely on behalf of the Commonwealth, and they hope to be able to capture him soon.

Nesmith, James, fl. 1796
Knowlton, Thomas, fl. 1795-1796
Knox, Henry, 1750-1806
Ely, Samuel, fl. 1796-1797

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