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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.

Wirz, Henry (1823?-1865) [Special order: Arrest warrant from a Confederate state military prison]

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02514 Author/Creator: Wirz, Henry (1823?-1865) Place Written: Tuscaloosa, Alabama Type: Autograph document signed Date: March 5, 1862 Pagination: 1 p. ; 15 x 20.5 cm. + 1 engraving ; b&w ; 25 x 16 cm Order a Copy

Orders that John Thomas be brought to the prison "dead or alive." Signed by Wirz as Sergeant of Post, at the Confederate Military Prison at Tuscaloosa, before he was promoted to Commandant of Andersonville Prison, where he gained notoriety. Accompanied by a seller's undated manuscript note describing Wirz as "The Demon of Andersonville." One black and white bust engraving of Wirz included.

Wirz, Henry, 1823-1865

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