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.

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

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03523.14.48 Author/Creator: Damuth, Dolphus (fl. 1839-1913) Place Written: Pass Cavello, Texas Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 2 February 1864 Pagination: 4 p. : envelope ; 16.5 x 21 cm. Order a Copy

Writes to his sister. His brother, John, has enlisted and is joining Damuth's company. Damuth promises to make him comfortable, but admits that "it was hard enough for me to leave home but it is nothing compared with leaving a wife and five little ones." Confesses that "the war is a very dangerous undertaking." Twenty-seven men from his company have died since the start of the war. The men have been seeing rattlesnakes in Texas, including one which is six feet long. Writes of the hard work of his captain and says he "ought to be Major but others have rich and influential friends to work for them at home."

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