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 Harriet Moore

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03836.69 Author/Creator: West, Lewis H. (b. 1829) Place Written: Aboard USS "Fernandina" at St. Catherine's Sound, Georgia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 10 July 1864 Pagination: 4 p. ; 24.6 x 19.6 cm. Order a Copy

References receiving her latest letter. Says they have a vegetable garden on St. Catherine's Island. Says he recently spirited off 10 contrabands and sent them north to Port Royal. Says he has received orders to look out for the "Florida" and "Alabama," as they might be trying to run the blockade. Hopes to be home by the end of the summer.

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