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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.

Damuth, Dolphus (fl. 1839-1913) to Maria Damuth

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03523.14.05 Author/Creator: Damuth, Dolphus (fl. 1839-1913) Place Written: Camp Solomon, Mississippi Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 18 December 1862 Pagination: 4 p. ; 12.5 x 20.5 cm. Order a Copy

Reports on the health of his regiment. A number of soldiers are in the hospital and three have died, but none from Damuth's company. Describes two men who have been labeled not fit for duty, "one shot his fingers off while drawing the charge from his gun…the other shot his thumb off." The colonel suspects the second man of wanting a discharge, since he has already been ill. Damuth mentions an older man suffering from rheumatism who hopes to get a discharge and opines, "I dot [sic] think the army is any place for such old men I have taken noticed that all the old men in the Regt are sick." Eager to get to Vicksburg, Damuth complains that the regiment will never pull itself together to move towards the action. Ten other regiments staying on the same side of the river are moving, most likely towards Vicksburg. Damuth says that cannon fire is audible, but he is not certain what the battle is or where it is taking place. Mentions some issues with a business transaction that took place before Damuth enlisted.

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