The 118th New York "Adirondack Regiment"
The role of the common soldier of the American Civil War is often most poignant. This man came from Canada, served through years of combat, marched from NY to VA, returned to the Adirondack's and saw his nation through the Great War. It's easy to write that he marched from NY to VA but that's about 700 miles, one way, in bad shoes!
Clodemar Normand enlisted at age 25 on 8/9/1862 at Champlain, NY as a Private and mustered into "I" Co., 118th New York Infantry. He was discharged on 6/24/1865 at Norfolk, VA, Balfour US Hospital. He died in New York in 1925.
He was of French descent and had moved to Upstate New York from Canada. Records show numerous name variants of both his first and last names.
He left to historians his discharge, a Virginia backmarked CdV, and several momento's of his post-war Grand Army of the Republic membership.
The 118th New York, the "Adirondack Regiment," was recruited in the counties of Clinton, Essex and Warren and  mustered in at Champlain in August of 1862. They served in the defenses of Washington, at Antioch Church and Baker's cross-roads, at Franklin, and engaged at South Anna bridge. Following garrison duty in VA, the regiment took part in the campaign against Richmond with Gen. Butler's Army of the James, engaged in several skirmishes and at Drewry's bluff, it suffered 199 casualties. Fighting at Cold Harbor in June, it lost 32 killed and wounded. Further casualties came in the assaults on Petersburg, at Fort Harrison, during the advance on Richmond, and in the trenches before Petersburg. It was on the skirmish line of the 3d division when Richmond was finally occupied, and claims to have been the first Federal infantry in the city. It was mustered out June 13, 1865, having lost by death 45 in Confederate prisons.