San
Joaquin County
Biographies
NATHAN MORETON STRONG
A veteran of the Civil War who has
been a resident of California since 1876 and a highly respected citizen of
Stockton these many years is Nathan Moreton Strong,
who was born in Adrian, Michigan, December 25, 1844, a son of Nathan Strong,
who was born in Ohio in 1813, and married Mrs. Mary A. (Inglehart)
Quackenbush, who was also a native of New York
state. They removed to Lenawee County,
Michigan, where the father followed his trade of cabinetmaking at Adrian and
also owned and operated a farm. They had
a family of eight children and although over military age when the Civil War
started he volunteered his services in the 18th Michigan Infantry as
fifer and bugler and was the chief musician for three years. In the same regiment, also serving as a
musician was his son Nathan, our subject.
The father was taken prisoner and was confined in the rebel prison at
Cahaba for nine months, until the close of the war, when he was set free. After the war the elder Mr. Strong followed
farming until 1875 when he moved to Stanislaus County, California, spending his
last days in Modesto. The mother’s first
marriage resulted in the birth of three children and two of these sons, Isaac
and James Quackenbush, served in an Ohio regiment in the Civil War from 1861
for three years. Isaac was nine months a
prisoner in Andersonville while James was severely wounded.
Nathan Moreton
was the next to the youngest child born of the mother’s second marriage and
spent his childhood on the farm near Adrian, receiving a good education in the
local district school. When seventeen
years of age, in August, 1862, at the second call for 300,000 men, he responded
to the call and enlisted as a private in Company C, 18th Michigan
Volunteer Infantry, mustered on August 26, 1861, and was a drummer in the drum corps
of the regiment; later, when the Regimental band was formed, he was the drummer
in the same band in which his father was chief musician. So father and son were with the colors for
three years.
He was engaged at Danville,
Kentucky, against Pegram’s forces, then against the
same at Buck Creek, Lebanon, and at Decatur, Alabama, held the pontoon bridge
and thus headed off General Hood and delayed him on his march to Nashville; he
was also in engagements at Pond Spring Court House, School Creek, and others,
serving until the close of the war he was mustered out at Nashville June 26,
1865, and received his honorable discharge at Jackson, Michigan.
On his return to Lenawee County, he
followed farming, and in that county near the city of Adrian, September 20,
1869, occurred his marriage to Miss Susan Thayer, a
native of Jefferson County, New York, the daughter of Augustus and Eliza (Talbott) Thayer, who brought their family to Adrian,
Michigan, where they resided on a farm until they passed away. This worthy couple had twelve children, of
whom Mrs. Strong is next to the youngest. Two of her brothers, William and Charles, also
served in the Civil War in Company C & B, respectively, 18th
Michigan Volunteer Infantry, both were taken prisoners and kept at Cahaba until
their discharge and were returning north up the Mississippi River on the
ill-fated steamer Sultana, when it blew up.
Charles perished, for his body was never found, while William, thrown
into the Mississippi, caught a door and floated down the river for miles,
working his way toward shore, until he found a tree leaning into the river to
which he lashed himself before he became exhausted and unconscious, when he was
found and rescued. Two other brothers of
Mrs. Strong were in the south as railroad engineers when the war broke out and
were forced into service as engineers for the Confederacy.
In 1876 Mr. and Mrs. Strong came to Stockton
and engaged in ranching near town until Mr. Strong entered the employ of Moore
& Smith, lumber dealers, continuing with them and others until February,
1901, when he entered the employ of the Rural Cemetery Association and has
continued with them ever since, for many years serving efficiently as general
office man. Mr. and Mrs. Strong’s union
has been blessed with three children:
Nathan C., superintendent of the Rural Cemetery; Percy M., in employ of
the street railway in Stockton; and Gertrude, who died in 1909. Mr. Strong is a prominent member and past
commander of Rawlins Post No. 23, G. A. R., while Mrs. Strong is a member of
the Roosevelt Circle, Ladies of the G. A. R.
Mr. Strong and his estimable and devoted wife is a very interesting couple
and in their liberal and kindhearted way dispense old-time Californian
hospitality to their many friends who appreciate their generosity and love them
for their many attributes of mind and heart.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
548-551. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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