| It has become a clich, but no less true, that the writing of a book such as this could not be accomplished without the help, interest, and encouragement of others. I am greatly indebted to a lot of people who, without even knowing me except through a letter, a phone call, or a brief meeting over a library counter, went out of their way to assist me. They located rare books, old magazine articles, photos, long-forgotten information I had once heard about or found a brief reference to. Or they "knew someone who knew someone" who could provide me with the information. Many times, I was left in awe over their ability and eagerness to help. |
| My many humble thanks go out to the courteous and helpful staff of the Library of Congress, especially Fred Bauman and John R. Sellers, who seemed to enjoy being able to show me unusual and seldom used resource material and rare contemporary sketch books in the library's holdings; the staff of the National Archives, who showed great interest in directing me to many previously neglected sources they possessed; the Manuscripts, Rare Book and Photo Department staff of the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; the staff of the Pack Memorial Library in Asheville, North Carolina, Stephen E. Massengill of the North Carolina Division of Archives and History, for his immense help and interest in locating some hard-to-find photos; Karen Podzamsky of the Filger Library in Minonk, Illinois, for her diligent efforts and interest in locating some rare historical information for me; Rose Huffman of the Kansas City Public Library, for her special efforts in locating some very old and little known information; Charles E. Brown of the St. Louis Mercantile Library Association, the oldest private library west of the Mississippi, which has a vast holding of contemporary Civil War POW books; Frank Jewell of the Chicago Historical Society; Mrs. Bleecker Harrison of the St. Mary's County, |
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