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.

Peterson, S.E. (fl. 1862) to Sarah Ogden

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC06559.125 Author/Creator: Peterson, S.E. (fl. 1862) Place Written: s.l. Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 16 August 1863 Pagination: 3 p. ; 26 x 21 cm. Order a Copy

Writes from a fort of the White Mountains. Says he has moved farther from home than he anticipated. Says he often thinks of Ogden and the other soldiers in the hospital. Describes the scenery of his new surroundings and complains of the cold. He tells her about mountain climbing in Maine and New Hampshire, and sightseeing in Boston and New York. Says he plans on visiting the hospital soon, and requests that Ogden please send a copy of his letter to Cornelia because writing materials are scarce, and he left his behind.

Sarah Perot Ogden was a Quaker from Philadelphia who took part in variety of philanthropic works such as assisting the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. She was a member of the Pennsylvania Society of Colonial Dames of America, the Philadelphia Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution, and President of the Philadelphia Home for Incurables. Both Ogden and her husband, Edward H. Ogden, were strong supporters of the Union cause. During the Civil War Ogden volunteered in a military hospital where she made daily visits. Her husband served as a Union soldier.

Ogden, Sarah Morris Perot, 1831-1912

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