Stunning image reveals Revolutionary War soldier whose bones were found in N.J. field

[Wicked Blue]

Composite sketch of one of the soldiers prepared by artist Moises Martinez of the New Jersey State Police Forensic Technology Center.

Rob Jennings | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Two years after an archeological dig accidentally uncovered skeletal remains in a New Jersey field, there is now a face to help tell the story of what happened on a key Revolutionary War battlefield in 1777.

Working off of a skull recovered from a trench just outside Red Bank Battlefield Bank, a New Jersey State Police artist sketched one of the Hessian soldiers who died fighting for Great Britain against the Continental Army.

Scientists now believe 15 sets of skeletal remains, all from men, were located in the trench during the 2022 dig. DNA testing so far has failed to identify any of the soldiers, but that remains a goal of the ongoing research project, officials said Wednesday in an update on the discovery.

The newly-released image by artist Moises Martinez of the State Police’s forensic technology center includes a headdress and a mustache, both of which were associated with Hessian soldiers of that period. The rendering helps convey the humanity of those who were killed, said Jen Janofsky, director of Red Bank Battlefield Park.

https://www.nj.com/news/2024/07/stunning-image-reveals-revolutionary-war-soldier-whose-bones-were-found-in-nj-field.html
(paywall)

The Red Bank location is in Gloucester County, NJ, not the Red Bank in Monmouth County.

[bucolic_frolic]

1. It's entirely possible the could ID the guy

Today's DNA tech you only need one or two people in a family tree to ID an unknown.

Census lists of Hessians who settled in NJ exist in the earliest censuses. Seems I recall reading officers were retained for awhile.

[Irish_Dem]

4. You need some close matches in the family tree.

At least second or third cousin. To ID an unknown.

With two known distant matches we can get a sense of geographical birth location, family's country of origin, ethnicity, etc. But not identity.

If this man had been an American, we would be able to identify him.

But obviously there must not be any offspring here in the US.

[SARose]

2. Oh wow!

That is unreal. Wig and all. Thanks!😊

[Irish_Dem]

3. He obviously did not leave any DNA in the US connected to procreation.