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.

Smith, David V. M. (1823-1863) to Elizabeth Smith

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC04189.32 Author/Creator: Smith, David V. M. (1823-1863) Place Written: Falmouth, Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 1863/3/6 Pagination: 2 p. : envelope. Order a Copy

Discusses picket duty in a ravine and guard duty near the Lacy House. He agonizes over keeping warm and adds "the way we kept warm at the Lacy House was by Running around it[.] The main house was about 100 ft long." He also discusses fraternization with the Confederates: "The Rebels are very sociable across the River and are very anxious to trade anything they have got for Coffee & the way they get it across the River is to fastening it to a board & hoist sail in it & set it afloat & the wind will carry it across."

Smith, David V.M., fl. 1862-1863
Smith, Elizabeth, fl. 1862-1863
Smith, Charles, fl. 1862-1863
Smith, John M., fl. 1862-1863

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