Port Chester, along Long Island Sound in Westchester, is a thriving and diverse village. Along its main road, U.S. Route 1 The Boston Post Road, at the intersection with Huguenot Street is a well-preserved Civil War monument with a statue of Colonel Nelson B. Bartram of the 17th NY Vol. and the 20th United States Colored Troops.
The statue was created by Scottish immigrant John Massey Rhind, who also sculpted the Stephenson GAR Memorial in Washington, D.C.. While the design was by an immigrant, the statue was created at the Abendroth Brothers Foundry in Port Chester.
Colonel Bentram was a local man who had become a New York City public school vice-principal. He first was commissioned as a captain in the 17th New York State Volunteers, known as the “Westchester Chasseurs.” He was with his regiment at the Battle of First Bull Run and served with the Westchester men until he left for the United States Colored Troops.
The monument is at the intersection of Boston Post Road (U.S. 1) and Pearl Street in the busy downtown of the city.
While the statue is explicitly about one man, the monument honors all from the community who served. Here the base of the monument has the symbol for clubs. This was the corps emblem of the II Corps of the Army of the Potomac.
On the front of the monument is a stylized representation of the emblem of the Grand Army of the Republic.
The Library of Congress has the photograph of Col. Bartram in its collection.
Colonel Bartram was not a forgotten figure at the time of his death. The New York Times offered a detailed obituary of his life, noting that in the months before his own death, the death of his daughter and a friend had greatly affected him.
Another side has the corps badge of the XI Corps. Many of New York’s Germans served in that corps.
A plaque beneath the XI Corps symbol honors the Union Defense Committee. Today we talk about the Civil War, but when the war took place it was called The War of the Rebellion by many.
Another side is the Fifth Corps badge.
The monument is on a prominent hill along Boston Post Road. It is easy to get to by car and there is adequate free street parking within a block of the site.
New Rochelle is on Route 1 and I-95. The monuments is easy to reach by train. Metro North stops there frequently and the stations is seven blocks from the monument. Amtrak trains arrive five times per day in either direction. The neighborhood has a number of Mexican restaurants. A few blocks away are a number of Italian eateries, bagel and doughnut shops, and an assortment of pubs. If you have a car, you might want to drive five miles to try Walter’s Hot Dogs, a famous outdoor stand that makes its own hot dogs in a 1920s pagoda. There is a little dining park next to the stand to sit and eat. Walter’s is at 937 Palmer Ave, Mamaroneck, NY 10543. I used to stop there all the time. Great place if you want a hot dog, some good fries, and a shake.
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