In a remarkable find that adds a new chapter to New Jersey’s distinguished Revolutionary War history, the 245-year-old remains of a group of soldiers have been found in a field in Gloucester County near the site of a key battle in the nation’s fight for independence.
An archeological dig just outside Red Bank Battlefield Park has uncovered the skeletal remains of up to 12 individuals — believed to be Hessian soldiers fighting for Great Britain against the Continental Army — who were killed during a one-day battle in 1777, according to Rowan University officials who help coordinate a dig at the site.
They also uncovered a wide range of other items, including musket balls, brass buttons, a uniform knee buckle containing human blood, and a King George III gold guinea that would have been the equivalent of a soldier’s monthly pay, officials said.
