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.

Lee, Robert E. (1807-1870) to Col. Samuel Cooper

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03326 Author/Creator: Lee, Robert E. (1807-1870) Place Written: Harpers Ferry Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 30 November 1859 Pagination: 2 p. ; 26 x 20 cm Order a Copy

Written as Colonel. Cooper was Adjutant General. Written two days before John Brown's execution.

Brown, John, 1800-1859

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