In the summer of 1862, 251 men from Brookhaven Town volunteered to join the Union Army to fight against the Confederate Army in the American Civil War. In Company A of the 139th New York Volunteer Regiment were Albert and Edward Bayles, two brothers from Middle Island, NY. For two years the brothers wrote over 50 letters from the field back to their family recounting their days as Union soldiers until they died in battle on June 2, 1864 in the Battle of Cold Harbor.
Scope of Collection
This collection contains 59 items including letters, photographs, envelopes, and ephemera from the American Civil War. Most of the letters were written by Albert or Edward Bayles, but there is also correspondence from their brother, Richard M. Bayles and military officials.
