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Acknowledgments
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Acknowledgments I have lived with Andrew Johnson since 1987, the year I became editor and director of The Papers of Andrew Johnson. (Some might consider such a long involvement to be a fate worse than death.But I think not.) The Johnson Papers staff and I persevered, harmoniously and productively , for thirteen years, during which time we published nine volumes and thereby completed the project. I have been and remain greatly indebted to them for our notable accomplishments and for their friendship as well. Clearly,for me that experience stirred an interest in Andrew Johnson that became unshakable and has persisted to this day. I have therefore attempted to deal with this abiding curiosity (or curse?) by writing this book.Along the way many persons assisted me with this challenge.The staff of the Special Collections library at the University of Tennessee not only afforded me a hospitable place for research and writing but also encouraged me to remain devoted to my task. In 2001 at the University of Tennessee, and three years later at the University of the South,I offered an undergraduate course titled “Three Presidents (Jackson, Polk, and Johnson).”Those opportunities enabled me to formulate more precisely my comprehension of Johnson. I will always be grateful to my students. Public lectures at Lincoln Memorial University in 2000 and 2006 likewise provided a forum for me to explore my understanding of the seventeenth president. My thanks go to Charles M. Hubbard, who organized those conferences and has continued his interest in my Johnson project. Lectures at Tennessee State University, the Georgia Historical Society , Pamplin Historical Park 6th Annual Symposium, the Johnson Symposium at Tusculum College, and the East Tennessee Historical Acknowledgments xii Society all contributed to my evolving perspective of Johnson.I acknowledge my debt to the persons who arranged those venues and invited me to participate. In the latter stages of this book’s development,I benefited immensely from criticism and comments offered by several scholars, particularly John David Smith, Richard B. McCaslin, and an anonymous reader. Stephen V.Ash,in typical fashion,devoted a remarkable amount of time to critiquing two different versions of my manuscript. By so doing he not only improved my study but also provided much-needed encouragement . I am forever grateful to him. I also happily acknowledge that William E. Hardy, a University of Tennessee doctoral student who possesses impressive knowledge about and enthusiasm for all things Johnsonian , played an indispensable role in the development of my book. My genuine thanks go to those persons who,through intangible and tangible ways, assisted me. The list includes Jim Small of the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site in Greeneville, Tennessee, Thomas M. Coens of the University of Tennessee, John C. Willis of the University of the South, Daniel W. Stowell of the Papers of Abraham Lincoln, and Daniel S. Pierce of the University of North Carolina–Asheville. My sons,my daughters-in-law,and even my grandchildren all buoyed and inspired me while I toiled in the vineyards of history. But most important has been my wife, Mary Lee, whose consistent and loving support has sustained me in the good days and the not-so-good days. I could not have produced this book without her. Paul H. Bergeron March 2010 ...