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.

Rowan, Stephen Clegg (1808-1890) to Lewis H. West

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03836.49 Author/Creator: Rowan, Stephen Clegg (1808-1890) Place Written: Aboard the USS "New Ironsides" Type: Document signed Date: 7 July 1863 Pagination: 1 p. ; 34 x 21 cm. Order a Copy

Document written in secretarial hand and signed by Captain Rowan of the USS "New Ironsides" to West as the commander of the USS "Ladona," ordering him to proceed at once to Port Royal, South Carolina to tow one of the ironsides to Charleston. Also signed by William Reynolds (signature is sloppy and spelling might be different) as "commander and senior officer," possibly of the squadron at Port Royal, who noted that the "Ladona" reported to Port Royal on 8 July. West was given command of the "Ladona" a few days previously when his captain was sent to take command of the "Weehawken" (see GLC03836.51).

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