The Long Island Boy's

Book excerpt: 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.