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xiii Acknowledgments Most books probably begin as the seed of an idea within an author’s mind, but by the time the finished work sees the light of day, it is inevitable that numerous other people have contributed to the final product. This book is certainly no exception. individuals from all over the country, ranging from professional scholars to amateur genealogists, offered important assistance during my six-year quest to tell the life story of Orlando Metcalfe Poe. Uncovering the full scope of that tale required an extensive amount of primary source research. That type of study is not unlike archeology, for in both scenarios successful “digging” is the cornerstone upon which all desired results must rest. The following individuals generously sifted through my many inquiries, helping me unearth and discover a veritable trove of important source material. in alphabetical order, i would like to acknowledge Darla Brock, archivist at the tennessee State library and archives, nashville; Jim Burgess, staff historian at Manassas national Battlefield Park, Manassas, virginia ; valerie Dutdut, archives technician at the United States Military academy , west Point, new York; John Fierst, librarian and bibliographer at the clarke historical library, central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant; Susan James, assistant director and reference librarian of the Bayliss Public library, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; Karen Jania, division head of the reference department at the Bentley historical library, University of Michigan, ann arbor; laura Koser, archivist at the South carolina historical Society, charleston; ana luhrs, special collections librarian with the Gilder-lehrman collection, new-York historical Society; John Mcclure of the virginia historical Society , richmond; Donald c. Pfanz, staff historian at the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania national Military Park, Fredericksburg, virginia; Kelly reiss, librarian at the newberry library in chicago; natalia Sciarini, public services assistant at the Beinecke rare Book and Manuscript library, Yale University, xiv acknowledgments new haven, connecticut; and Marianne weldon, curator of collections, Detroit historical Society. i would also like to acknowledge the accommodating staff at the library of Michigan in lansing, at Detroit’s christ church, and at the national archives in washington, D.c., and chicago, illinois. it almost goes without saying that any Michigan-oriented research must include a stop or two at the Burton collection, and i certainly cannot forget the suggestions offered by the librarians of that extensive collection at the Detroit Public library . last, but certainly not least, i would like to express my appreciation to the always helpful personnel at the library of congress’ Manuscripts reading room. The Orlando M. Poe Papers housed at that institution were the primary source for this biography and include some 8,500 items contained within twenty-three boxes, much of it seldom seen. in addition to public institutions and libraries, several private individuals also contributed to this project. in fact, some of the most gratifying moments in its creation came from meeting and communicating with people who graciously and enthusiastically shared unpublished letters or photographs from their private collections. included in this group are eugene tidball of Boulder, colorado; richard Morton of lakewood, Ohio; robert Mikel of toronto, Ontario ; and Julie May of west chester, Pennsylvania. i would also like to thank ed Bradley and Karen needles of Documents on wheels for the research and extensive digital photography assistance they provided for me at the library of congress. closer to home, i would be remiss if i did not recognize the wonderful employees at the Macomb county (Michigan) reference and research center, which until recently was known simply as the Macomb county Public library. Year after year, these librarians tirelessly and cheerfully processed an immense number of interlibrary loan requests for me. in my humble opinion, the state of Michigan’s interlibrary loan program is the most user-friendly system of its type i have encountered; it made acquiring many less-than-common books far easier than it might have been. a number of scholars also lent their specialized skills to the review aspect of this work. i am grateful to robert e. l. Krick, staff historian at the richmond national Battlefield Park, for reviewing portions of the manuscript and offering several helpful suggestions. Perhaps most important, the external review process utilized by the Kent State University Press generated ideas and insightful critiques that were invaluable for the completion of this work. My thanks go out to Dr. christopher Stowe, Department of Military history, United States army command and General Staff college; Dr. tom clemens, professor of history, hagerstown (Maryland) community college; and lesley Gordon, editor of...

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