Captain Joseph Deverell and the 108th NYV Infantry

This presentation examines the unpublished documents of Captain Joseph Deverell, 108th New York Volunteer Infantry, as a case study of the Northern experience during the Civil War. Specifically, Captain Deverell’s records of mustering, desertion, honor culture, and medical treatment reaffirm the traditional narrative. Deverell’s paperwork provides insight into the minds of the Rochester men in his unit. Deverell’s records are contextualized with other primary and secondary sources about the 108th, which are in turn fit into the framework of the larger Northern narrative of the war, established by James McPherson in his work, Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era