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.

Davis, Jefferson (1808-1889) to John Letcher re: approving a Virginia ordinance to improve the militia

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC06773 Author/Creator: Davis, Jefferson (1808-1889) Place Written: Richmond Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 1861/12/20 Pagination: 2.5 p. 22.2 x 16.5 cm Order a Copy

Davis, writing as Confederate President-elect, finds the re-organization of the Virginia militia "most acceptable to a free and patriotic people." The Virginia ordinance raised standards for physical fitness and increased terms of service

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