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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.

McCormick, Daniel (fl. 1800-1807) [Letter of recommendation for Dr. Benjamin Kennedy]

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03479.03 Author/Creator: McCormick, Daniel (fl. 1800-1807) Place Written: Aboard USS Hornet at Charleston, South Carolina Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 2 December 1807 Pagination: 1 p. ; 23 x 18.8 cm. Order a Copy

McCormick, the surgeon on the USS "Hornet" in Charleston, South Carolina, wrote this letter to certify that Dr. Benjamin Kennedy was very attentive to his duties as surgeon's mate during his three months of service on the "Hornet." Kennedy showed "extensive medical knowledge, acquired from long study and practice." Says it is his opinion that Kennedy is qualified for the commission of surgeon's mate in the U.S. Navy.

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