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Acknowledgments To my beloved brother, General Charles H. Howard, who, setting out with the enthusiasm of a boy soldier, served his country by my side through four years; was seriously wounded at Fair Oaks, and aided me by his counsel and support during the strain of reconstruction. As a tribute of my affection and appreciation , this book is affectionately dedicated. —Oliver Otis Howard’s dedication to his brother Charles in his book Isabella of Castile While this work stresses the religious faith of one particular soldier during the bloodiest conflict in American history, I must also take time to thank those who maintained a personal faith in me throughout the duration of this project. The debt I owe to many individuals can never be fully repaid, but it is my hope that I can begin the process here. What follows is a list of the many teachers, friends, and casual acquaintances through the past few years that have helped make this project a reality. This project would not have been possible if not for a chance encounter with Myra Howard at the 2010 Society of Civil War Historians meeting in Richmond, Virginia. The wonderful discussion I was able to have with Myra regarding my work on Otis Howard transitioned into a conversation regarding the work of Russ and Roz Howard and the letters of Charles Henry Howard. Following several emails, I had the opportunity to visit with Russ and Roz in August of 2010. They opened their home to my brother and me, and what proceeded was a remarkable friendship and exchange of information. This project would not have been possible without the tremendous work that Russ and Roz undertook, and for that I am Acknowledgments xiv eternally grateful. It is my hope that this work accurately portrays the life of their ancestor that they endeavored to preserve since his passing more than a century ago. With any luck, this research will extend to the other Howard brothers and their role in the Civil War. The letters of Charles Henry Howard represented here reside in the George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections and Archives at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. For permission to use the letters as well as understanding and patience with my numerous requests for duplication, I am grateful to Richard Lindemann, the Director of Special Collections, as well as Daniel Hope, Caroline Moseley, Kathy Petersen, and Marieke Van Der Steenhoven. All requests for materials had a remarkable turnaround. As an alumnus of Bowdoin College and former employee of Special Collections, I can attest to the remarkable work ethic of these individuals at one of the finest and most beautiful places in which to do research in the entire country. I must also acknowledge the wonderful staffs at the National Archives, Library of Congress, and Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University for the materials and images they provided to help supplement this project. I must also acknowledge the work of professors Patrick Rael and Jill Pearlman during my undergraduate years at Bowdoin College. Patrick was my adviser during my time at Bowdoin and supervised my work on Otis Howard resulting in my first publication. Patrick always pressed me to become a better writer and instilled that desire in me from the time I set foot on the campus the fall of my first year at Bowdoin. While I realize there is still a ways to go to reach Patrick’s level of proficiency, I hope he will take this offer of gratitude from a former student whom he provided so much to in a four-year period. Additionally, I must also thank Jill Pearlman for the work she did in pushing my abilities as a writer and for opening the world of urban history to me. Jill’s courses at Bowdoin are some of my fondest memories and a shining example of the benefits of a liberal arts education. For Patrick and Jill, I must offer my sincerest thanks for their willingness to put up with an over-anxious undergraduate and push him to develop better writing skills, better argumentation skills, and confidence in his own abilities. Thanks are also in order to Peter Carmichael. Pete took a tremendous risk when he offered to support my graduate application process with a letter of recommendation and provided the initial contact with the University of Tennessee Press. Pete’s passion in Civil War studies is virtually unparalleled, and his selection as head of Gettysburg College’s Civil War...

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