“As all who have gathered here are aware, a soldier cannot leave his post without being properly relieved. Pvt. Tupper you are now relieved.”

So spoke Capt. Bruce Barber, of the 20^th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment, at the graveside service of Ardent Tupper. It was a touching, impressive ceremony at the Scots Bay cemetery on June 12, and was one of several grave marker ceremonies honoring Kings County veterans of the American Civil War. As a piper, I participated in two of them, Ardent Tuppers and that of Centerville native William Kinsman at the Chipman Corner cemetery.

In a May 18 column I covered Ardent Tupper’s service in the Civil War. Thanks to Sara Keddy, this paper’s editor, I was given the opportunity to expand not only on Tupper’s service in the Union Army, but that of other Kings County men who left here to fight in the Civil War. Readers who read my article in the June 8 issue of the Regional will know that in addition to Tupper and Kinsman, I’m referring to Dr. Frederic Burgess and Ben Jackson.

While it wasn’t publicized in advance, a Hantsport native who served in the Civil War was also recognized at the June 12 ceremonies. This was Thomas Patten who is buried in Riverside Cemetery in Hantsport. Patten enlisted in the 3rd Maine Volunteer Infantry, later transferring to an artillery corp. He suffered a gunshot wound to his hip during the war.

I found Thomas Patten’s name on a website while searching for information on Canadians who served in the Civil War. Several other Kings County natives who served in the Civil War are listed on the website as well. I mention these vets with the hope they have relatives here; relatives who may not be aware of their Civil War service and may wish to do further research.

First, there is John Carter, Canning, who suffered a gunshot wound in the war. Leander W. Kimball, Wolfville, was another Civil War veteran. Margaret Murphy, Wolfville, was listed on the website as the mother of a war vet who apparently was killed in action. Similarly listed are Caroline Leland, Melvern Square, and Usly (sic) Jane Tupper, Avonport, both of whom apparently lost sons in the war and like Margaret Murphy, received their sons’ pensions.