Oyster Bay releases Civil War history book

Oyster Bay Town has published a guide for genealogists and history buffs titled "Civil War Records: Town of Oyster Bay."

The guide, compiled by town historian John Hammond, contains 1862 and 1864 soldier enrollments lists.

It also contains a list compiled in 1865 after the war listing the names of those who served, along with their dates and places of birth, date enlisted, ranks, place of enlistment, bonus received, occupation, names of parents, date and place of discharge, and, in some instances, information on imprisonment, cause of death and promotions.

In the case of navy personnel, the listings include the name of the vessel served on.

The guide also includes an overview of some of the units in which soldiers, including African-American volunteers, from the town served and photographs of some local soldiers.

"When President Lincoln issued a call for volunteers to come forth and aid the Union, young men from the Town of Oyster Bay were among the first to answer the call," Hammond said. "Although the population of the town in 1860 was less than 8,000, more than 2,000 young men volunteered for service. The records contained in this publication help us to understand the impact the Civil War had on the small, rural communities of the town and can be of great assistance to both the serious historian and genealogist."

To obtain a copy of the free booklet, contact Hammond at 516-624-4971. A copy can also be downloaded from oysterbaytown.com.

Hammond will speak about the book Sunday at a meeting of the Farmingdale-Bethpage Historical Society. The free session at the Farmingdale Public Library, 116 Merritts Rd., starts at 2 p.m.