Civil War veteran recognized and honored

HARDYSTON — Despite a cold rainy morning, members of the Pvt. Joseph Bessette Chapter National Society Daughters of the Union came to Hardyston’s North Church Cemetery for a headstone dedication. Joining them were descendants of Civil War veteran James McGrath, who passed away in 1910.
According to Lisaann VanBlarcom Permunian of the National Society Daughter of the Union, Pvt James McGrath was a member of the Orange Blossoms out of Orange County NY. They were a volunteer unit formed in 1862 in Goshen, N.Y.
After the organization was able to prove that McGrath was actually buried in the location, they were granted permission to install the new headstone in its current location. Even though it required 106 years for the gravesite to be identified and properly marked, McGrath’s resting place is now a piece of local history.