JAMES ONESIME BRULEY -- 53rd INFANTRYHIS FIRST REGIMENT WAS DISCONTINUED - James Onésime Brulé was livingwith his father, Onésime Brulé, and stepmother, Henriette Suprenant, inRouses Point, where he was born, when he enlisted in the 53rd Infantryon September 20, 1861. His mother, Adelaide Camaraire, died in 1848.The 53rd, or the \"D\'Epineuil Zouaves,\" was organized in New YorkCity, but contained members, mainly of French origin, from all parts ofthe state and one company of Native Americans from the TuscaroraReservation. They were mustered into the U. S. service between August27th and Nov. 15, 1861, for three years and left for Washington on the18th of November.They were first stationed at Annapolis, MD, and attached in January1862, to Burnside\'s Expeditionary Corps and a detachment of the commandwas active in the battle of Roanoke Island. In March the regiment wasdiscontinued, and James was transferred to the 98th Infantry. Eventhough the 53rd was only in existence for less than six months, theregiment had 10 men die -- three in battle and seven from other causes.James was with his new regiment until he was mustered out at Richmond,VA, on August 31, 1865. He survived Second Fair Oaks in May 1863 andre-enlisted on January 1, 1864, at Norfolk, VA. It wasn't until ColdHarbor in June 1864 that he was wounded. He was wounded in the fingerbut soon returned to his company and, fifteen months later, musteredout.After returning to the North, he married Sarah Smith. The couple raisedtheir children in Franklin County, VT, where James died in 1925 and wasburied in the Mount Calvary Cemetery in St. Albans.
