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 #: GLC03523.14.80 Author/Creator: Damuth, Dolphus (fl. 1839-1913) Place Written: Kennersville, Louisiana Type: Autograph letter signed Date: January 1865 Pagination: 4 p. : envelope ; 12.5 x 20.5 cm. Order a Copy

Writes to his sister. The morning paper has brought news of "a peace movement…you cant think how the word peace sounds to us we at once begin to build castles in the air." Writes that Jefferson Davis probably "sees no hopes of ever getting his independance [sic]." It is warm in Louisiana and Damuth writes that he can watch "lots of negro men and women at work on the land…fitting it fer a sugar or cotton crop." Many peddler women come to the army camp with liquor hidden under their clothes and attempt to sell it to the soldiers. Damuth suggests that his family subscribe to the Chicago Tribune.

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