Civil War letters to be read at Morgan Manning House

Thomas R. Taber, of Albion, will speak at the Morgan Manning House about his book Hard Breathing Days. The book is a collection of 160 letters written by Cora Beach Benton to her husband, Charles, who was in the 17th New York Light Artillery during the Civil War.

The program will begin at 7 p.m. on April 28 at the historic house located at 151 Main Street in Brockport. Refreshments will be served and admission is free. The event is sponsored by the Western Monroe Historical Society.

The Benton family lived about a half mile from Taber's home in Albion. They were unknown to him until he found the letters in an auction in Brockport in 1997. After further research and finding seven missing letters at Notre Dame University, Taber transcribed the letters to create the 512 page hard cover book with 40 illustrations. The book is self-published under the name Almeron Publishing. It is available at the Lift Bridge Book Shop and will be available at the event.

Taber is Coordinator with Orleans County Job Development. He has a degree in photography from RIT and lives with his wife, Leatha, in Albion.

For information call (585) 637-3645.