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Leonard Graydon Littlefield
b.25 Apr 1845 New York City, NY, USA
d.6 May 1916 St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
Family tree▼ (edit)
m. 16 Sep 1840
(edit)
m. 9 Sep 1868
Facts and Events
Worked at Bellefontaine Cemetery from 1866 until his death. His Civil War service was under the name Leonard G. Littlefield. He changed his name to Walter Graydon after the Civil War. Prior to receiving his Civil War pension, he had to demonstrate he was the same person. This documentation is at the National Archives in the pension files. Leonard Graydon Littlefield was born in New York City, April 25, 1845. His parents were John Littlefield and Mary Canfield Littlefield. His mother died while he was young and his father remarried. His stepmother was Elizabeth Draper. As a child he lived in the New York City area, except for 2 1/2 years, between the ages of 9 1/2 to 12 years of age, he was at Harpursfield, Delaware, NY on the farm of his step-grandfather, Stoddard Stevens. Leonard Graydon Littlefield attended Manhattan College for one year. He wanted to be an engineer, but his father wanted him to be a doctor. While in college, Leonard was in the 72 NY Militia; his company wanted him to enlist, but his father would not allow it as he was only 16. Leonard quit college in June 1861; and from that time until his enlistment , he was in a wholesale clothing store, Frank B. Baldwin &, 72 Bowery, NY Leonard was 18 when he enlisted in E company, 12th New York Cavalry. He was not in any service before May 1863, because he was too young. As soon as he became 18, he put his name down on an application (before May 1, 1863). Leonard Littlefield enlisted in New York City and went to sea to New Bern, NC Two weeks later, his company was sent to Plymouth, NC Later in the fall, and about a week before Plymouth was captured by the "Rebs," the regiment was sent back to New Bern. The regiment had been just ready up when the whole company went to New Bern, NC On Staten Island, NY, they drilled without horses or guns, but did have uniforms. When they got to New Bern, the regiment got their guns and horses. The regiment had no regular engagements, but some attacks at Plymouth. Leonard was accidentally shot through left middle and ring finger at Plymouth, NC about Sept. 1863. He picked up a pistol lying in this tent and it was accidentally discharged and the bullet passed through the flesh, left middle finger and wounded also the left ring finger. At the time he was accidentally shot in fingers, there was no one else in tent. Leonard had been sent to this tent - a guard tent - to relieve a corporal and to release a man in confinement. He was taken to the doctors tent, the regimental surgeon dressed the hand was dressed, and he returned to his tent that night. That was all there was to it except that Leonard was off duty about three days. While at New Bern, Leonard was put in the General Hospital with chronic diarrhea. He stayed there about a month, was given furlough and transportation to New York. Leonard stayed at parent's home in New York City until his furlough was up. His father, John Littlefield, went to the Lexington Ave. Hospital and reported his condition as being unable to travel. The surgeon ordered him brought there as soon as he was able to be moved. It was in Feb. 1864 when Leonard went into that hospital for the same trouble and he stayed there until finally discharged. When discharged from the Army at New York, Leonard thought it was on account of varicose veins of the legs. Leonard had not been wounded in battle as his sister would later recollect. One day, Leonard had a leave of absence from the hospital, and went out and walked some. He returned worn out, and legs swollen. Two weeks after that, he was discharged; he had an ulcer and a bandage on one leg and swollen legs while in hospital. When Leonard came to St. Louis, Dr. Gregory told him he had varicose veins. That was the first knowledge he had that he had varicose veins, but he assumed that was the reason for his discharge from the Army. Leonard Graydon Littlefield was discharged on July 7, 1864, on a Surgeon's Certificate of disability. When discharged from the Army, Aug. 1864, Leonard stayed in New York City for a week, went to Middleton, NY and stayed a few weeks, then returned to New York to learn the printer's trade. When he went to New York from Middletown, he had some money, enough to support himself for a while, and went to work at John B. Gray's to learn the business. Leonard got no pay there; he was at Gray's for six or eight weeks, until his money gave out. About the end of September, 1864. Leonard worked temporarily in a grocery, after having been at Gray's. He was without funds and forced to earn a living at anything he could get. About the first of December, 1864, Leonard wrote a despairing letter to his stepmother who sent him a little money. His uncle, George Canfield, was instrumental in getting Leonard the privilege of learning at Gray's. George Canfield was Marine Editor of the New York Herald. In response to an advertisement by the Commissary Dept., U.S.A., Leonard G. Littlefield applied at the New York office. He did not have enough money to buy a lunch to take along. Leonard kept his right name until the beginning of 1865, when he started to work for the Commissary Department, and since that time he was always known as Walter L. Graydon. According to a deposition filed by Walter L. Graydon to receive a pension for his Civil War service, "The only reason [he changed his name] was that after my education and training to be a civil engineer at the City College of the City of New York I was ashamed to take laboring work, as I was about to do, under my right name." There were several family stories about why Walter L. Graydon had changed his name from Leonard Littlefield. One story was that he did not want the same last name as his stepmother; this explanation to the Pension Board does not rule out that story. The other stories included changing names with a draft dodger and taking the name of a family he stayed with in St. Louis. These would appear to be ruled out assuming Walter Graydon appears on Commissary Department records, as he indicated it would be. About Jan. 1865, Leonard Littlefield entered the Commissary Department, enrolled in New York. The Commissary Dept. sent a whole gang of laborers down to Nashville, Tenn.where Walter Graydon stayed until June 1865. The pay seemed mighty good to him then, $45. a month and rations. The gang was sent over the Pennsylvania road to Pittsburgh, and Indianapolis, Louisville, to Nashville, Tenn. where they were located. A part of the force of laborers was sent with a lot of mules to Chattanooga, Tenn. Walter worked at laboring work, handling grain. In about two weeks, he fell off a wagon and was sent to the only government hospital at Nashville, Tenn. Walter was there three or four weeks, had a little kind of blood poisoning. He was in Nashville from the latter part of December or first of January (1864-1865) until peace was declared. He was at Nashville, Tenn., about four months. All the men were paid off when peace was declared. About June 1865, Walter Graydon and an acquaintance came on a steamer down the Tennessee River to Evansville, ID. He then went to Henderson, Ky., and stayed some two or three months; employed by a man in the tobacco business. He was in Evansville, ID. for a few months. Walter Graydon arrived in St. Louis, Missouri on February 9, 1866 and on September 19th of the same year entered the service of Bellefontaine Cemetery as superintendent of interments, or assistant Superintendent. He retained this position until his death, May 6, 1916. Walter L. Graydon married a girl named Annie Eliza McGhee, (Roxanna appears on her wedding certificate) on September 9th 1868, by James H. Brooks, pastor at Walnut Street Presbyterian Church. They lived in a stone house on the grounds of Bellefontaine Cemetery. Some of their children are buried at Bellefontaine: Annie Leona Graydon, buried in a single grave area (P.L. 5, Grave #24); Percival Clinton Graydon, "Percy", Lot #5000, Irma Pearl Graydon, at the Burgess lot and Frederick Dumont Graydon, Lot #5000. Their home was one of 10 residences within the cemetery. Leonard's mother was opposed to child baptism, but Walter was baptized in St. Louis, Missouri. Palm Sunday, 1870, Grace Church 10 & Warren St., he took the name Walter because that was a favorite name. Walter Graydon donated a picture to the Museum of Art in St. Louis, which is on record there. Annie played the piano, mostly classical and purchased an upright mahogany Shaw Pianoforte in 1898 for the price of $450. Annie Graydon was a lovely, precise lady and she had a fine sense of color. She, with her daughter, Irma, made a ritual of first airing a bedroom and then making up the bed carefully - almost ceremoniously. Walter Graydon was mustered into Ransom Post No. 131, G.A.R., St. Louis, on February 28, 1914. His name is No. 1111 on the Roster of the Post. Walter purchased a farm for his daughter Orie as a birthday present in 1912. According to a letter from Edward Leonard Graydon, his son, to Frank Burgess, his son-in-law, he gave Orie the farm as a present and as part compensation for the unfairness of Mother's (Annie Graydon) bequests. Annie Graydon died on April 26, 1911, 13 months after having had 3/4 of her stomach removed from cancer. Walter was fearful that she would die on his birthday, April 25. Walter L. Graydon died May 6, 1916, at the Baptist Sanitarium in St. Louis, of hardening of the arteries followed by endocarditis. They are buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery, Lot #5000. They each have their favorite Bible verses cited on the back of the tombstone. For Annie, it is the 91st Psalm; the first verse of that is "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." For Walter, it is John 3:16: "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life." A will of Walter Graydon's leaves specific items to each of his children, with his daughters to divide the remainder of his estate: to Edward, then in Atlanta, books from his library and the oil portrait of himself at the age of 6 years; to Walter, then in Brooklyn, books in his library; to Orie, the portrait of himself at 41 years of age and his 10 volumes of Encyclopedia Britannica; to Irma, the large photograph of the whole family and the oil portrait of his mother; to Frederick, his seal ring. He left Charles E. Maguire, husband of Orie, his graphophone and records; and Francis G. Burgess, husband of Irma, his horse "Buck," his complete harness, buggy and surrey. The family had a horse named Buck Tyler who was blind, but knew every step of the way to town. Family stories indicate that this horse was bought from the government after the Civil War.
Walter L. Graydon married a girl named Annie Eliza McGhee, (Roxanna appears on her wedding certificate) on September 9th 1868, by James H. Brooks, pastor at Walnut Street Presbyterian Church. 6 APR 1911 St. Louis, Missouri Death of one spouse References
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