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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.

Kessler, Thomas J. (fl. 1843-1868) to his friends

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03523.52.41 Author/Creator: Kessler, Thomas J. (fl. 1843-1868) Place Written: Chicago, Illinois Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 29 March 1864 Pagination: 4 p. : envelope ; 20.6 x 25.3 cm. Order a Copy

Writes to his friends from Camp Douglas. Discusses the weather. Describes how green everything is in Maryland. Complains about another soldier exaggerating his sickness to get a discharge. Comments the other soldier should have been discharged a while ago. Notes he will not live long because he is consumptive (tuberculosis). The letter has a watermark on the top left hand corner. Letter is addressed to his friends but envelope is addressed to his father, A. P. Kessler.

Thomas J. Kessler enlisted as a private on 29 June 1863 at Edwardsburg, Michigan. On 8 July 1863 he mustered into "G" Co. Michigan 1st SharpShooters. He was mustered out on 28 July 1865 at Delaney House, Washington, D.C.

Kessler, Thomas J., fl. 1843-1868
Kessler, A. P., fl. 1863

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