The Search for N.B.
Civil War Veterans
and Their Graves
After driving the cattle to the night pasture,
Cliff and I were taking a shortcut through the cemetery, when we
noticed Dad
talking to Gram's cousin Garfield, who appeared to be searching through
the
wild brambly rose bushes.
We inquired as to what he had lost?
Garfield smiled and replied, "I am trying to find the field stone
markers for the graves of my Stackhouse relatives who I think are
buried here."
The members of the New Brunswick, Nova Scotia American Civil War
Re-enactors who represent Company I of the 20th Maine Volunteer
Infantry, and Company C of 4th Texas Volunteer Infantry, are searching
for the burial sites of American Civil War veterans. Thousands of men
and women travelled from Atlantic Canada to participate in this war
from 1861 to 1865. To date, approximately 60 grave sites of Civil War
Veterans in the Atlantic Provinces have been located,
and information has been found on an additional 50.
Once the grave site is identified, a ceremony is held to honour each
veteran, whether they are Union or Confederate.
On Aug 16, at 2 p.m. a ceremony will be held at Elmwood Cemetery in
Moncton, to honour civil war veteran Millage B. Keith, who served in
Company C, of the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery, and George R. Proudfoot,
who served in the 2nd US Light Artillery. Another ceremony on that day
will be held at 11 a.m. in Rexton for Dr. Rufino DeOlloqui, who served
as Assistant Surgeon for
the 61st Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.
The Civil War Re-enactors group are requesting help in finding
information on the date of birth, date of death and the location of the
graves of the following New Brunswick Civil War Veterans.
Borden, Peter - died Feb 25, 1873, in Saint John, served in
Co. E., 111th New York.
Burns, Daniel - a St Andrews resident, served in Co. D.,
7th New Hampshire.
Casey, Dr. Kitson - died in New Brunswick.
Clark, Edwin F. S. - died in 1920, buried Maces Bay
Cemetery.
(I have been advised he is buried in the Thomson Burial Ground in
Dipper Harbour)
DeHart, Cornelius - died May 6, 1876, buried in Willow
Grove, Saint John County.
Hutchinson, Jim - died at Back Bay, Charlotte County -
possibly buried in a private family cemetery.
Knapp, Dr William - served as Asst. Srgn, 19th Mass., lived
in Sackville after the war.
McKeown, Patrick - buried at St Mary's Catholic Cemetery in
Saint John.
Munro, Hugh Charles F. - Welsford.
Quinn, Thomas - served in Co. F., 6th Maine, lived in
Saint
John.
Raymond, Samuel - died 1919 in Perth, was a POW at
Andersonville Prison.
Stevenson, Andrew - Saint John, served Co. F., 5th Maine.
Sullivan, John - of Saint John, served Co. G., 9th Maine
There are hundreds of other veterans who either came home or stayed in
the United States. Still there are those like William Henderson who
were
from the United States and moved to Atlantic Canada after the war. If
you
have any information on a Civil War Veteran of the Atlantic Provinces,
please
contact, Terry Middleton, 3 Prince Rd., Quispamsis, NB, Canada, E2E
1L3.
Phone (506) 849-6433. E-mail to termid@nbnet.nb.ca.
For more information visit the Web site at http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/termid/20MaineI/home.htm
By the way, the group chose Company I of the 20th Maine Volunteer
Infantry due to the fact that a young man from Saint John, Alexander
Lester, was
killed in battle, during the famous defense of Little Round Top at
Gettysburg, Pa., on July 2, 1863. His name is engraved on the 20th
Maine monument at the battle site in Gettysburg.