Although no battles were fought on Long Island, the Civil War deeply affected all of its residents. More than three thousand men--white and black--from current-day Queens, Nassau and Suffolk Counties answered the call to preserve the Union. While Confederate ships lurked within eight miles of Montauk Point, camps in Mineola and Willets Point trained regiments. Local women raised thousands of dollars for Union hospitals, and Long Island companies manufactured uniforms, drums and medicines for the army. At the same time, a little-remembered draft riot occurred in Jamaica in 1863. Local authors Harrison Hunt and Bill Bleyer explore this fascinating story, from the 1860 presidential campaign that polarized the region to the wartime experiences of Long Islanders on the battlefield and at home.
A must read for any Civil War buff; The Long Island Boy's is an exciting regimental history of one of the many Brooklyn regiments which fought for the Union during the American Civil War. The Long Island Boy's attempts to bring back to life the stories of the brave men of the 67th New York Volunteer Infantry. Commonly referred to as the First Long Island Infantry, or simply by their comrades as The Long Island Boy's, the regiment's origins can be traced back to fire and brimstone preacher (and staunch abolitionist) Henry Ward Beecher, who was the famous brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe. At first The Long Island Boy's (as they would become known) had a very checkered beginning, and it looked as though most of them would never even see a shot fired in anger. Yet, just a year later, in 1862 until the middle of 1864, the Long Island Boy's would participate in almost every major battle of the Eastern theatre of the Civil War, participating in several bloody fights including the Battles of Fair Oaks/Seven Pines, Malvern Hill, Marye's Heights, Gettysburg and Spotsylvania to name just a few. Although they left Brooklyn over a 1000 strong, less than a 100 would return. Back home, they would be showered with glory and honors and then eventually forgotten. Some went on to live very storied lives, while others died in anonymity. The stories they told remained buried in attics, archives and museums for years. Until now. Through exhaustive research of war records, archives, diaries and letters home, I have attempted to give a complete accounting of where and how they fought. While many books about the Civil War focus on campaigns and General's I try to limit my focus to the men of the 67th. While tracing their role in the great tragedy that was the American Civil War, I also try to paint a more complete picture of the men who fought in the regiment, their thoughts and feelings about the issues surrounding the war, what they ate, what they did for fun and more. I hope you enjoy reading the book as much as I enjoyed researching and writing it.
At the outbreak of World War I, the Gold Coast of Long Island was home to the most concentrated combination of financial, political and social clout in the country. Bankers, movie producers, society glitterati, government officials and an ex-president mobilized to arrange massive loans, send supplies and advocate for the Allied cause. The efforts undercut the Wilson administration's official policy of neutrality and set the country on a course to war with Germany. Members of the activist families--including Morgans, Davisons, Phippses, Martins, Hitchcocks, Stimsons and Roosevelts--served in key positions or fought at the front. Historian Richard F. Welch reveals how a potent combination of ethno-sociological solidarity, clear-eyed geopolitical calculation and financial self-interest inspired the North Shore elite to pressure the nation into war.
Nassau and Suffolk Counties answered the call to service during the First World War. As young men entered the armed forces, existing facilities such as Camp Mills and Hazelhurst Field were expanded, while Camp Upton, a massive training center, was created almost overnight. Long Islanders demonstrated enthusiastic support for the war through patriotic rallies, subscriptions to Liberty and Victory Loan drives and establishing recreation centers for troops called "soldiers' clubs." While Long Island factories turned out torpedoes, freighters and clothing, the Island's vibrant agricultural sector contributed significantly to the nation's food supplies. Author and historian Richard Welch explores the impact of the Great War on Long Island.
A history of the Revolutionary War and British occupation in this part of New York, from the Culper spy ring to the prison ships where thousands died. The American Revolution sharply divided families and towns on New York’s Long Island. Washington's defeat at the Battle of Long Island in August 1776 started seven years of British occupation—and Patriot sympathizers were subject to loyalty oaths, theft of property, and the quartering of soldiers in their homes. Those who crossed the British were jailed on prison ships in Wallabout Bay in Brooklyn, where an estimated eleven thousand people died of disease and starvation. Some fought back with acts of sabotage and espionage—and Washington’s famed Culper spy ring in Oyster Bay, Setauket, and other areas successfully tracked British movements. In this book, historian Joanne S. Grasso explores the story of an island at war.
Long Island has been in the corridors of almost all major turning points of American history, but Long Island has been overlooked as a battleground of the civil rights movement. Since early colonization by the English settlers in the 17th century, the shadow of slavery has bequeathed a racial caste system that has directly or indirectly been enforced. During World War II, every member of society was asked to participate in ending tyranny within European and Asian borders. Homeward-bound black soldiers expected a societal change in race relations; instead they found the same racial barriers they experienced prior to the war. They were refused homes in developments such as Levittown, denied mortgages, and had their children face limited educational opportunities. Collective efforts from organizations such as Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) employed civil disobedience as a tactic to fracture racial barriers.
175 vintage photos recall aspects of life on Long Island from post-Civil War to modern era. Village life, agriculture, local industries, celebrities, early aviation and movie industries, fabulous estates, beaches, much more. Unique document of early Nassau and pioneer photography. Full informative captions. Introduction. Indices.
The Long Island Boy's is an exciting regimental history of one of the many Brooklyn regiments which fought for the Union during the American Civil War. The Long Island Boy's attempts to bring back to life the stories of the brave men of the 67th New York Volunteer Infantry. Commonly referred to as the First Long Island Infantry, or simply by their comrades as The Long Island Boy's, the regiment's origins can be traced back to fire and brimstone preacher (and staunch abolitionist) Henry Ward Beecher, who was the famous brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe. At first The Long Island Boy's (as they would become known) had a very checkered beginning, and it looked as though most of them would never even see a shot fired in anger. Yet, just a year later, in 1862 until the middle of 1864, the Long Island Boy's would participate in almost every major battle of the Eastern theatre of the Civil War, participating in several bloody fights including the Battles of Fair Oaks/Seven Pines, Malvern Hill, Marye's Heights, Gettysburg and Spotsylvania to name just a few. Although they left Brooklyn over a 1000 strong, less than a 100 would return. Back home, they would be showered with glory and honors and then eventually forgotten. Some went on to live very storied lives, while others died in anonymity.
