Parma Hilton Historical Society Museum Opens James A. Hard Exhibit Honoring the Oldest Union Civil War Combat Veteran

On Sunday, April 19, the Parma Hilton Historical Society opened the James A. Hard Exhibit in the Museum at 1300 Parma Hilton Corners Road (Rt. 259), Hilton. Several items in the collection, including Hard’s Civil War Springfield Rifle, bayonet, bayonet holster, and G.A.R. hat, are on loan to the museum from the Eksten family, Hard’s descendants.

James Hard was the nation’s last combat veteran of the Union Army during the Civil War. The Union Army once had 2,100,000 soldiers. Some gave their lives for the cause; others survived; and a few lived long lives to tell their stories firsthand. Someone had to be last, and in this case, there were two. James Hard was the last combat veteran, and Albert Woolsen of Duluth, Minnesota, was the very last veteran. Woolson was with the 1st Minnesota Regiment as a drummer boy, but the war had ended before he saw action.

Hard was born between 1841 and 1843 in Victor, New York. When he was four, the family moved to Windsor, New York, near Binghamton. He grew up on the family farm with nine siblings. Children in those days were expected to begin earning their living at 16. At the time the first shot was fired at Fort Sumter in 1861, Hard was working at a sawmill in Dryden, New York. There, he learned of Lincoln’s first call for volunteers, and he, with some friends, enlisted on May 14, 1861, and joined the 32nd New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment. It is believed that the lack of clarity about his birthdate stems from his claiming to be older than he actually was in order to enlist.

He fought in several major battles, including the First Battle of Bull Run (July 21, 1861); the Battle of Antietam (September 17, 1862); the Battle of Fredericksburg (December 1862); and the Battle of Chancellorsville (May 1863). He was in other battles as well, but these were some of the deadliest. Fortunately, he was never wounded.

He mustered out in December of 1863 and came back and worked for the Army repairing railroads that had been wrecked during battles. Following the War, he went out west to seek his fortune. In Nebraska, he met and married Loduska Davis, formerly of Buffalo. They had one daughter, Alberta, in 1875. Loduska died in 1880. A few years later, Hard married Annie West of Rochester, and there the family settled.

James Hard studied law and later became a pension attorney with an office in Rochester’s old Reynolds Arcade on Main Street. In his productive years, his greatest accomplishment was attaining pensions for over 5,000 Civil War veterans and their widows. These were the days before Social Security.

He retired at the age of 86 in 1928 to care for his wife Annie, who became ill. Through the years, he was active in the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.), where he served as NYS Commander and National Junior Vice Commander in Chief.

As the years rolled on, he became one of the few Civil War Veterans remaining in Monroe County and New York State. These veterans were always present for local parades and events to keep the spirit of the Civil War alive. In the 1940s, there were just a few left, and by 1949, Hard was the last survivor in New York. He became a social luminary in Rochester, always ready for a parade or military event. His birthdays were popular Masonic and veteran celebrations each year at the Seneca Hotel on East Avenue in Rochester. He quipped, “I’ll bring the birthdays, you bring the cake.”

He was feted with hundreds of birthday cards, telegrams, and other gifts, including cigars. Hard chain-smoked White Owls throughout his life. When asked what his secret to longevity was when he turned 108, he said, “Work hard, don’t worry too much, and smoke plenty of cigars.” It was said he smoked around eight each day. While he was recovering from a bout of pneumonia in the hospital, the nurse asked him what she could get him. He replied that he needed a cigar. She reluctantly helped him light up, and he joked, “I’ll keep on living if I can keep on puffing.”

Hard died on March 17, 1953, at the age of 111, a few months from his 112th birthday on July 15. The City of Rochester provided a State Funeral for him at the Auditorium Theater, and his funeral was at the Masonic Temple. Thousands gathered to pay him tribute.

On April 19, 2026, ten of Hard’s descendants from the Eksten family joined members of the Parma Hilton Historical Society Board, the Mayor of Hilton, members of the Parma Town Board, and guests to celebrate James Hard and the opening of the new exhibit. One guest, 101-year-old Mary Masciangelo, aka “Rosie Riveter” from Fairport, remembers Hard well and is particularly interested in honoring veterans. She arrived just in time for the celebration, coming straight from the Rochester Airport, where she, her daughter, and son-in-law welcomed back Rochester-area veterans from their Honor Flight.

The James Hard exhibit is the centerpiece of the Parma Hilton Museum’s Civil War display, arranged by Curator Ken Freeman.

The Museum is open on Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m. from April through the end of October. Admission is free, and all are welcome to visit.

Provided information. Photos by Joanne Michielsen.