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.

Henry, Josiah E. (b. 1840) to Sister

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 #: GLC02749.011 Author/Creator: Henry, Josiah E. (b. 1840) Place Written: Staunton, Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 20 October 1864 Pagination: 2 p. : envelope ; 21.3 x 26.7 cm. Order a Copy

Just received her letter dated 10 October. They had as desperate a battle as they have ever had yesterday (Battle of Cedar Creek or Battle of Belle Grove, 19 October 1864). The rebels came in from the rear, attacked them at early light, and killed men in their tents. In less than five minutes after the first shot was fired, the six corps got into line just in time. The rebels took 40 guns, nearly 200 wagons, all of the corps' tents, knapsacks, and haversacks, and drove the whole army more than two miles. When they got a chance, they drove the rebels back to Staunton, Virginia in the afternoon and took everything back that they lost in the morning and 14 additional cannons.

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources