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.

Banks, Nathaniel Prentiss (1816-1894) to Nathan Kimball

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC04727 Author/Creator: Banks, Nathaniel Prentiss (1816-1894) Place Written: Harrisonburg, Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: May 4, 1862 Pagination: 1 p. : docket ; 20.1 x 12.5 cm. + 1 engraving ; b&w ; 26.5 x 19.3 cm + 1 engraving ; b&w ; 26 x 18 cm Order a Copy

Asks Kimball to get "your train in motion as early as possible." Written four days before the nearby battle of McDowell, the first major encounter in Stonewall Jackson's Shenandoah Valley Campaign. The lack of Union troops at Harrisonburg would prove to be of great importance towards the end of this campaign. Most of the docket is lost.

1 full length black and white engraving and 1 black and white bust engraving of Nathaniel P. Banks.

Nathaniel P. Banks was a major general. Before the war served as Massachusetts Governor, and as a United States Congressman both before and after the war.
Nathan Kimball was a Union brigadier general. In March 1862 he had defeated Stonewall Jackson at Kernstown.

Harrisonburg,
4 May - 11. P.M.
General Kimball.
Sir:
You will please put your train in motion as Early as possible in the Morning. or as soon as you can get the Road - The head of Williams Division will reach your Camp between six and seven -
Please give notice to General Tyler and you will greatly oblige
Your friend &c
N.P. Banks
M.G.C. &c

[docket]
Ma[text loss]
Maj Gen [text loss]
Brig Gen. [text loss]

Banks, Nathaniel Prentiss, 1816-1894
Kimball, Nathan, 1822-1898

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