Additional Remains Unearthed Near Revolutionary War Battlefield

News January 21, 2020

(Teagan Smith)
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Connecticut Ridgefield Burials
(Teagan Smith)

RIDGEFIELD, CONNECTICUT—According to a News Times report, the remains of a fourth possible Revolutionary War soldier have been uncovered on private property near the site of the Battle of Ridgefield, which took place in April 1777. State archaeologist Nicholas Bellantoni said 28 brass buttons were recovered from the chest and arm areas of the skeleton. “All buttons were badly corroded and need to be cleaned in the lab to look for insignia,” he said. Scientists from the University of Connecticut, Quinnipiac University, Yale University, the University of Florida, and the University of California, Santa Cruz, will attempt to confirm that the four robust young men were soldiers, and will try to determine if they fought for the British or American armies. If the men were British soldiers, the remains may be returned to England. If the men were American, researchers will attempt to identify them. For more on the archaeology of the American Revolution, go to "Small Skirmish in the War for Freedom."

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