Oswego County and the Civil War

Although far from the fighting, the residents of Oswego County were forever changed by the Civil War. One of the few regions that never forced a draft, thousands of men volunteered, motivated by patriotism, abolitionism or a yearning for adventure. Neither they nor their families were ever the same, and local author Natalie Joy Woodall relates their diverse experiences. William Adriance enlisted twice, despite suffering from rheumatism, marrying and starting a family during the war. Otis Mason M