Welcome to the History Corner!
Celebrating the rich history of Port Byron, New York, an old Erie Canal village in the Town of Mentz. This site is dedicated to the legacy and heritage of our community as well as a variety of regional historical tidbits. I hope you enjoy your visit and will stop by again.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Civil War Soldier Nathan Munger

Having a State Representative of the Grand Army of the Republic from Port Byron was indeed a special find.  It promoted me to learn a little more about Nathan's military service.  I hope you will agree, our soldier deserves an additional post so that we may share his service record:


Courtesy of Ancestry.com
 Nathan was born at Fredonia, NY about the year 1840 and mustered in on December 8, 1862 at Oswego, Co. I 110th NY Infantry at the age of 22.  In August of 1863 he would become detached from this regiment to serve on assignment as clerk at General Andrews Headquarters.

On September 25, 1863 he was promoted to Co. B, 12th Regiment "Corps De Afrique".  The pension index shows his unit was Co. B. with the 12th Louisiana C.D.A. Regiment of Infantry.  This unit provided Garrison Duty at Port Hudson, LA.  The unit would later be re-designated as the 84th United States Colored Troops in 1864, in which Nathan remained with Co. B.  He served as a Second Lieutenant in both units.  The 1890 veterans census indicates he was discharged on or about Nov. 28, 1864.

Nathan by trade was a harness maker.  The call of service to the Grand Army of the Republic would prompt the move of his family to Albany, NY where his occupation in the 1900 census was recorded as Assistant Adj General GAR.

Many advertisements can be found showing he continued to list himself in directories at the corners of Main and Rochester Streets in Port Byron.  It appears his time in Albany was limited, for he died at his Port Byron home in 1909.

Nathan applied for a soldiers pension in 1881, which converted to his widow Amanda Munger upon his death in 1909.  Both are buried at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Port Byron.