Islip historic marker honors Régis de Trobriand, a Civil War soldier who spent summers on the South Shore

Islip Town now has a New York State historic marker that honors a soldier who local historians say is “one of the town's most famous veterans.”

The new marker was unveiled Friday on Foster Avenue in Sayville following a two-year effort by town historian George Munkenbeck and members of the Society of the Grand Army of the Republic, a Civil War educational nonprofit. The marker honors Major General Philippe Régis Denis de Keredern de Trobriand — commonly known as Régis de Trobriand — a French aristocrat who became an American citizen in 1861 and led troops into battle during the Civil War.

“He went from a French nobleman, and a man around town at every famous restaurant and every party, to a person who became a plain old soldier and an American,” Munkenbeck said. 

Trobriand summered in Bayport and is buried in Sayville, about 400 feet from where the marker stands, Munkenbeck said. Trobriand and his brigade helped stop the Confederate Army from advancing during Gettysburg in what is known as “the wheatfield,” the 26-acre site of immense bloodshed. More than 6,100 men died in the battle. 

University of Virginia history professor emeritus and a Gettysburg Foundation's Historians Council member Gary W. Gallagher said that while Trobriand’s performance was not any better than other Union brigade commanders, his performance was “solid” and his men mounted “a firm defense.”

Even when Trobriand’s troops ran out of ammunition, they continued to hold their ground, said Thomas Badamo, director general of the Society of the Grand Army of the Republic. Today, the roadway beside the wheatfield is named “De Trobriand Avenue.” 

After the Civil War ended, Trobriand headed out West for the American Indian Wars, also known as the American Frontier Wars, due to his master negotiating skills, Munkenbeck said. He was stationed at Fort Stevenson in North Dakota. He chronicled his time there in a diary, which was published in 1951 as “Military Life in Dakota: The Journal of Philippe Regis de Trobriand.”

His writings during both wars offered a glimpse into his day-to-day life. They were compiled into two other books: “The Life and Memoirs of Comte Régis de Trobriand,” which was translated by his daughter Marie Caroline, and “Our Noble Blood: The Civil War Letters of General Regis De Trobriand.” 

Perhaps the most surprising part of Trobriand’s life is that after time spent fighting the Confederacy and pioneering in the West, he quietly retired, Munkenbeck said. He spent his winters in New Orleans, where he was surrounded by French culture, and returned to Long Island for summers on the South Shore. 

“The Town of Islip has a long, rich history, and we’re fortunate to have an historian and residents who are passionate about unearthing facts and paying homage to important figures that deepen our knowledge of where we live,” said Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter. 

Trobriand died in Bayport in 1897 when he was 81 years old. War education groups have previously honored him at his gravesite with a Civil War burial and memorial service, Munkenbeck said. 

“The ideal of what the country should be, I think, was what motivated him to do what he did,” he said. “He didn't have to become an American citizen, he didn’t have to fight, but he did.”