View source for James Hard

{{Short description|Last surviving Union Army combat veteran of the United States Civil War}}
{{primary sources|date=June 2017}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = James Hard
| birth_name = James Albert Hard
| birth_date = July 15, 1843
| birth_place = [[Windsor, New York]], U.S.
| death_date = March 12, 1953<br />(aged {{ayd|1843|7|15|1953|3|12|}})
| death_place = [[Rochester, New York]], U.S.
|allegiance={{flagu|United States|1863}}
|branch={{Dodseal|Board}} [[Union Army]]
| serviceyears = 1861–1863
|battles=[[American Civil War]]
*[[First Battle of Bull Run]]
*[[Battle of Antietam]]
*[[Battle of Fredericksburg]]
*[[Battle of Chancellorsville]]
| unit ={{Flagicon|New York}} [[32nd New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment]]
}}

'''James Albert Hard''' (July 15, 1843 &ndash; March 12, 1953) was the last verified living Union combat veteran of the [[American Civil War]] and the third-to-last verified veteran overall; only drummer boys [[Frank Mayer (Colorado)|Frank H. Mayer]] and [[Albert Woolson]] post-deceased him. Though he claimed to have been born in 1841,<ref>[http://genealogytrails.com/main/lastveteranobits.html#hard The Last Surviving Veterans of America's Wars - Obituaries, Biographies, Pictures and other Data<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> research in 2006 found that the [[1850 United States census|1850 Census]] indicated a birthdate of 1843.

He died in [[Rochester, New York]], at the claimed age of 111.<ref>[http://www.nycivilwar.us/jahard.html James A. Hard Obituary<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Census research indicates, however, that he was probably a year or two younger and may have inflated his age in order to enter the military. He is recorded as having joined the [[Union Army]] on May 14, 1861, aged 19. The 1850, [[1910 United States census|1910]], and [[1920 United States census|1920]] censuses,{{Primary source inline|date=March 2016}} however, suggest that he was born in 1843 and 1842 respectively.{{citation needed|date=March 2016}}

Hard served with the [[32nd New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment]] as "Albert," participating in the battles of [[First Battle of Bull Run|First Bull Run]], [[Battle of Antietam|Antietam]],  [[Battle of Fredericksburg|Fredericksburg]], and [[Battle of Chancellorsville|Chancellorsville]]. The regiment's term of service expired before the [[Gettysburg Campaign]].<ref>https://dmna.ny.gov/historic/reghist/civil/rosters/Infantry/32nd_Infantry_CW_Roster.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref> He claimed to have met [[Abraham Lincoln]] at a White House reception.<ref>The Chicago Tribune, March 12, 1953, transcribed by K. Torp for [http://genealogytrails.com/main/lastveteranobits.html#hard genealogytrails]</ref><ref>'Last Civil War Veteran in Each State,' 1951, by. C. Stewart Peterson, Baltimore, Maryland</ref>

==See also==
* [[Last surviving United States war veterans]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Find a Grave|12689}}
* [http://genealogytrails.com/main/lastveteranobits.html#hard Obituary at genealogytrails.com]
* [https://dmna.ny.gov/historic/reghist/civil/rosters/rostersinfantry.htm#list 32nd NYSV Roster at NY State Military Museum]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hard, James}}
[[Category:1840s births]]
[[Category:1953 deaths]]
[[Category:People of New York (state) in the American Civil War]]
[[Category:Burials at Mount Hope Cemetery (Rochester)]]
[[Category:American men centenarians]]
[[Category:Union army soldiers]]


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