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.

Holt, Joseph (1807-1894) to Henry W. Halleck

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02490.10 Author/Creator: Holt, Joseph (1807-1894) Place Written: Washington, D.C. Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 8 November 1862 Pagination: 1 p. ; 20.5 x 12.5 cm. Order a Copy

Recommends Donn Piatt as a Judge Advocate to a particular military commission at Cincinnati.

Joseph Holt was the Judge Advocate General of the Union Army. He had previously served as Secretary of War and Postmaster General under President Buchanan. He was the chief prosecutor for the Lincoln assassination conspirator's trial.
Donn Piatt was a noted journalist, who after the Civil War founded and edited the journal "Washington Capitol."

Knowing your anxiety to find a proper man for the position of Judge Advocate to the Military Commission about to meet at [] I venture to suggeest the name of Capt. Donne Piatt. I [learn] that he is a asound lawyer, & of unusual power of debate, & certainly during the last few weeks as a member of the Harper's Ferry Commission he has impressed me most favorably on the score of capacity for [] in investigation . He certainly has the proper spirit & would no doubt give entire satisfaction to the govt.

Holt, Joseph, 1807-1894
Halleck, Henry Wager, 1815-1872
Piatt, Donn, 1819-1891

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