Hamersly served in the Navy from 1862 to 1866 and in the Marine Corps from 1866-1869 before entering the publishing trade. His "Records of living officers" was published by J.B. Lippincott and other publishers in seven editions from 1870 to 1902 and detailed the full records of living officers in the two services. After establishing his own publishing firm, he published later editions of this and other reference works including "A Naval Encyclopedia" in 1881, "List of Officers of the Navy of the United States and of the Marine Corps from 1775 to 1900" in 1901, and "First Citizens of the Republic" in 1906.
From the description of Lewis Randolph Hamersly Collection, 1870, 1872, 1878 (bulk, 1870). (New-York Historical Society Library). WorldCat record id: 479782589
