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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.

Sandoz, Joel H. and Spencer, William H. Opelousas courier. [Vol. 10, no. 14 (March 8,1862)]

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC05959.15.01 Author/Creator: Sandoz, Joel H. and Spencer, William H. Place Written: Opelousas, Louisiana Type: Newspaper Date: 8 March 1862 Pagination: 4 p. ; 56 x 3.35 cm. Order a Copy

Battle Expected Daily at Boston Mountain, General Johnston's Address to the Army of the Potomac, Capture of Roanoke Island.
This issue lists news items in French on the front page and in English on the back page. The inside 2 pages contain ads, French on the left and English on the right. A homicide is reported. General Johnston's address to the army at the Potomac is included. An army pay list outlines expenditures for different branches.

Named for a Native American tribe, Opelousas, Louisiana, was settled by French fur traders early in the eighteenth century, the third oldest city in the state. During the Civil War Opelousas briefly served as the Louisiana state capital in 1862. While only two battles occurred here, Federal occupation of the city in late 1863 resulted in several bloody riots through the war and Reconstruction.

André Meynier founded the Opelousas Courier in 1827, and it ran through 1910, suspended 30 April - 30 July 1870 and 11 January - 8 February 1873. This weekly newspaper was printed both in French and English on the reverse, often on "necessity" paper or wallpaper, as newsprint was scarce.

Johnston, Joseph E. (Joseph Eggleston), 1807-1891
Beauregard, Pierre Gustave Toutant, 1818-1893

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