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.

Claiborne, William C. C. (1775-1817) to David Porter

High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02505.07 Author/Creator: Claiborne, William C. C. (1775-1817) Place Written: New Orleans, Louisiana Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 8 October 1808 Pagination: 1 p. : address : docket ; 33.5 x 20.5 cm. Order a Copy

Informs Commodore Porter that he cannot leave his present post to "cross the Lakes with Lieutenant Morrell." Claiborne was governor of the Territory of Orleans from 1804-1812.

Claiborne, William Charles Cole, 1775-1817
Porter, David, 1780-1843

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources