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.

Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson) (1822-1885) to McKinstry Griffith

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03632 Author/Creator: Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson) (1822-1885) Place Written: West Point, New York Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 22 September 1839 Pagination: 4 p. 24.9 x 19.8 cm + addr Order a Copy

Writing as a cadet at West Point, Grant offers self-consciously romantic comments to his cousin about the Hudson Highlands. He also complains about "a few of the drawbacks," such as insufficient blankets and money, difficult lessons, the lack of familiar faces or women, tight clothing, and eight demerits he received that very day for missing church. Earliest known Grant letter.

Grant, Ulysses S., 1822-1885

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