Title Page and Front Matter

Rochester's Forgotten Regiment:
The 108th New York In The Civil War
By Terence G. Crooks

Title Page And Front Matter

Dedicated to:

H.P.J. Crooks (1917-1972), who started the process.

Acknowledgements.

I would like to thank the following people and institutions for their generous help and support in the writing of this work. The first would have to be Ben Maryniak. Ben gave a talk at our now departed Round Table about the battle of Gettysburg and when he began to deal with the third day and the famous charge that ended the battle, he mentioned that a Canadian, named Powers, was in command of a brigade on Cemetery Ridge and helped to repel the assault. His comment led to an interest in the 108th New York and that was almost ten years ago. This book started as an article intended for Civil War Regiments, but by the time it was ready the magazine had ceased to publish and was under new ownership. However, I sent the article to a man named George Contant who gave me an excellent review and some helpful suggestions, one of which was to expand the article into a book. I took his advice and in a way had to start again. Over the next few years, various people helped with information. Ann Stears of the Rochester Historical Society was most helpful and generous as was Nancy Martin, Archivist at Rush Rhees Library at the University of Rochester. Stewart Renfrew, now retired from Douglas Library at Queen’s University made sure that I acquired an excellent copy of Dr. Wafer’s Diary and pertinent letters. Other individuals, who were related to those in the 108th New York or had interest in the regiment, came forward to provide letters, photos and official documents. These people were: Sara Gelder of Culpeper, who gave me typescripts of the letters of Omar Richardson; Ron Erwin of Rochester N.Y. who generously supplied photos and typescripts from Morris Darrohn and Peter Anger; Ken Byrd of Indianapolis, relative of Russell Disbrow ; Peter Leigh Garrett who sent me a copy of  his great grandfather’s dairy, Oliver Hazard Palmer. Once more to all these people my thanks.

The book is dedicated to my father who instilled in me a lifelong love of literature and history and took me to Gettysburg for the first time in the late 1950’s where the seed was sown..

To our three children, Sean, David and Tara, my thanks for sticking with me through the difficult times with love and understanding.

My final and most heartfelt acknowledgement is to my wife who helped me persevere through heart surgery and maintained a firm belief in my ability to complete the work. Her grace, humanity and love are a source of strength as well as awe. Thank you, Dauna for being there.

T.G. Crooks, May, 2005.