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.

Lavallette, Elie Augustus F. (1790-1862) to Andrew H. Foote

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03479.19 Author/Creator: Lavallette, Elie Augustus F. (1790-1862) Place Written: Aboard USS Germantown at Porto Praya, Cape Verdes Islands Type: Letter signed Date: 4 June 1852 Pagination: 1 p. ; 13.5 x 20.1 cm. Order a Copy

Written by Lavallette as Commander in Chief of the African Squadron to Lieutenant Foote. Forwards a letter he found in his papers (not included). Hopes Foote had a short passage and a pleasant meeting with his family and friends. Document has been torn in upper right corner and is close to being torn along the folds.

Born as Vallette around 1790, he changed his name to Lavallette in 1840. This letter is to the Foote who became a rear admiral in the Civil War.

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