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.

West, Lewis H. (b. 1829) to R. West

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03836.25 Author/Creator: West, Lewis H. (b. 1829) Place Written: Aboard the USS "Alabama" at Hampton Roads, Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 25 October 1861 Pagination: 2 p. : docket ; 24.7 x 19.4 cm. Order a Copy

Says he was detached from the USS "Wabash," and ordered to take the place of a sick officer on the USS "Alabama." Claims "It is extremely irritating to be shifted about in this way, just as I get accustomed to one ship to be unceremoniously bundled into another." Says the top officers had a "pow wow" on board the "Wabash" last night, no doubt discussing their plans for the upcoming mission.

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