JAMES
L'HOMMEDIEU
127th New York Volunteers
Private, Company B
Middle Island
James L'Hommedieu
127th New York Volunteers
Private, Company B
Middle Island
James L'Hommedieu was born in Middle
Island, on August 26, 1839. He was one of eight brothers
and sisters born to Daniel and Juliana L'Hommedieu, who
lived on a farm on Bartlett Road. James was a carpenter
by trade, but also worked the family farm after returning
from military service.
James enrolled in the army in New York
City on August 15, 1862. Just two weeks later, he married
Ann E. Davis on August 28 at the Presbyterian Church in
Middle Island. James and his bride made their home at the
Davis family farm in Middle Island.
On September 8, two weeks after the
wedding, James was mustered into Colonel William Gurney's
127th New York Volunteers at Staten Island. He was
assigned to Company B. Thus, at the age of twenty-three,
James, or "Jimmy" as the family called him,
left his new bride and embarked on a patriotic journey
for a period of 3 years. Like the many other Long
Islanders who joined up, he was given his equipment and
sent off for "on the job training."
The 127th was transported by steamship to
Baltimore on September 10. They were based at Camp Bliss,
Upton's Hill at Arlington Heights in Virginia. The 127th
was assigned to defend Washington, D.C. The regiment
stayed there until January of 1863, when the men marched
southward. They wound up at Camp Gurney in Clouds Mills,
Virginia. At times they marched twelve miles to Vienna
and then back again. Some time was spent on picket line
duty at White House and Suffolk, Virginia. This was the
war until June of 1863, when the 127th was once again
transported by steamboat to the islands off the coast of
Charleston, South Carolina. They protected Folly Island,
Coles Island and Morris Island.
Fort Sumter was bombarded and eventually
taken. The 127th was present when Major Anderson, the
former commanding officer of Sumter before it surrendered
to the Confederates, ran the Union flag up the pole.
Meanwhile, General Sherman was on the
march creating havoc throughout the South. He was intent
on destroying everything in his path. The economic
depravation of the Confederacy was beginning to take its
toll. People were losing heart.
100 pound Parrot guns on
Morris Island pointed.
The 127th was called upon to cut off the
Savannah-Charleston Railway. L'Hommedieu and Company B
was assigned to assist Company H on Provost Duty and to
escort prisoners to Hilton Head Island.
In June of 1864, L'Hommedieu received
word that his wife was ill. She was suffering from heart
problems and high fevers, as well as inflammatory
rheumatism. His mother-in-law, a widow, was also ill. The
farm needed to be taken care of, and would eventually
have to be sold. They asked James to put in for a
furlough because the situation at home was grave. He
applied for-and was granted-a thirty-day leave on August
1. He returned to Middle Island to see his wife, who did
recover. He also purchased the family farm, securing his
family's future there.
L'Hommedieu returned to duty in September
of 1864. He walked right into the debacle at Honey Hill
and Deveraux's Neck. The regiment was present at the
capture of Fort Wagner, but heavy casualties resulted
from these battles. These confrontations involved several
forced marches. On one of these marches, from Beaufort to
Charleston, James began to complain about what he thought
was strained muscles. In a way, it was unusual for James
to complain, so this seemed significant. According to
Sgt. Gilbert Brown of Company B, Mr. L'Hommedieu was a
good soldier, "ready to do his duty whenever called
upon... He was not one to complain...unless
justified."
James L'Hommedieu was discharged on June 30, 1865, in
Charleston, South Carolina. He returned to Middle Island
to work the farm and do carpentry work. He had great
difficulty doing manual labor, however, because of pain
in his lower back. He also suffered from varicose veins,
hemorrhoids and rheumatism. He attributed much of this
pain and illness to the heavy marching.
In 1870, L'Hommedieu moved to East
Norwalk, Connecticut where he operated a carpentry
business. While there, he applied for an invalid pension.
Despite the chronic pain, he became an active member and
helped to found the East Norwalk Methodist Church.
L'Hommedieu's basement was used for prayer meetings and
for a Sunday school. When the congregation outgrew the
basement, an old railroad workmen's shanty, which was
being used by L'Hommedieu and his brothers as a carpentry
shop, became the new place of worship.
James L'Hommedieu died in Fairfield,
Connecticut on March 17, 1911. He and his wife had no
children.