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.

McSherry, Anna (b. 1833) to Henry F. McSherry

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03523.21.10 Author/Creator: McSherry, Anna (b. 1833) Place Written: s.l. Type: Autograph letter signed Date: circa mid 1861 Pagination: 3 p. ; 20.3 x 12.6 cm. Order a Copy

Letter is faded with water damage and mold. Written by Anna to her brother Henry in the U.S. Navy. Henry seems to have contracted malaria. Says through the tone of his letter she assumes his health is better. Asks if he has taken the quinine. Says their father feels badly for not giving him some before he left. Says that their father reported to her that Henry would not be well enough to travel by Saturday, at least not comfortably. Says 27 prisoners from Back Creek Valley were brought to town yesterday. She thinks a large force is around Winchester. Sends updates on family and friends. Name of the town where letter was written on page 1, but it is illegible.

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