Battlefields & Battlegrounds - Revolutionary War

Category: Battlefields & Battlegrounds -- See latest Revolutionary War news here.

House creates trail following General Washington's march to Yorktown
The 600-mile route taken by the armies of General George Washington in the campaign of the Revolutionary War would become a national historic trail under law passed by the House. The trail, along existing roads and waterways in 8 states, marks the 1781 march of Washington's Continental Army and the Expedition Particuliere of French Count Rochambeau that ended in the surrender of British Gen. Charles Lord Cornwallis. It will "help spur a greater understanding of our shared history and will help illuminate the important battle of a young country and its French allies against the rule of King George," said Maurice Hinchey.
by ap :: 2008-07-15 :: Battlefields & Battlegrounds

Kettle Creek dig providing new insights into 1779 battle
An archaeological dig in Wilkes County has opened a window to one of the early years of the American Revolutionary War - and it's not exactly the way the history books tell it. For centuries after the Feb. 14, 1779, battle at Kettle Creek, stories placed 350 Patriots against 700 Loyalists on 12 acres of land. But archaeologists say that the battle unfolded over 500 acres. The LAMAR Institute team unearthed musket balls, buttons and pieces of weapons. Southwest of the traditional battlefield, metal detectors revealed musket balls, and the team hope to label the musket balls as Patriot- or Loyalist-owned by the caliber and amount of lead in each bullet.
by onlineathens.com :: 2008-07-09 :: Battlefields & Battlegrounds

Tours along the Freedom Trail in Boston
In the heart of Boston, amid its urban life, guides in Revolutionary-era garb lead tours along the Freedom Trail. "People come from all over the world to walk the trail and hear the stories. I also have a blast with the school groups," said guide Elissa Forsythe, one of about two dozen people hired by The Freedom Trail Foundation to represent historic figures from Boston's Revolutionary period. Two tours are available: An hour-and-a-half tour that covers 12 sites and ends at Faneuil Hall and an extended tour that continues on to Charlestown and ends at the Bunker Hill Monument.
by boston :: 2008-05-13 :: Battlefields & Battlegrounds

Revolutionary War research about the Siege of Savannah
Coastal Heritage Society archaeologists went to great lengths to find information about the Siege of Savannah. The digging for artifacts in Madison Square began months before Coastal Heritage Society archaeologists found musket balls in Sgt. William Jasper's shadow. The work started in 2007 when Rita Elliott, her husband, and archaeologist Dan Elliott started on a 3-week research campaign. Letters between British officers, order books, battle accounts, journals, letters and maps, all added to knowledge about the Siege of Savannah, a 1779 slugfest that was one of the bloodiest struggles of the Revolutionary War.
by savannahnow :: 2008-04-03 :: Battlefields & Battlegrounds

Revolutionary War's 'sacred ground' stands neglected
Floods. A junkyard. A pizza joint. Is this any way to treat history? Of course not. But this is life at New Bridge Landing Park in River Edge. When will someone fix this? That question has hung around for decades over the land along the Hackensack River that was home to a bridge that spared George Washington's army in 1776. Today, the place is handled like a forgotten uncle, hidden from traffic by an abandoned junkyard. Things are so bad now that one of New Bridge's prime advocates, Kevin Wright, declared that he was resigning from a state job promoting New Jersey's historic spots.
by hnn.us :: 2008-01-04 :: Battlefields & Battlegrounds

Preservationists pay $8 million to conserve Revolutionary War site
Article no longer available from the original source.
Amid the kind of steaminess that plagued soldiers on Sept. 11, 1777, officials reversed history this time, turning the Battle of the Brandywine into an American victory - for preservationists. On a scenic hillside in Chester County, the Brandywine Conservancy announced the purchase of the 100-acre Skirmish Hill Farm from the Odell family for $8M. The sale completes a 2-decade struggle to save this site and others nearby, where some of the bloodiest hand-to-hand combat of the American Revolution occurred. "We may have lost the Battle of the Brandywine, but we sure as hell won this one," George A. "Frolic" Weymouth said enthusiastically.
by philly :: 2007-06-29 :: Battlefields & Battlegrounds

Experts hunt mass war grave from Revolutionary War
They came with new technology to probe mysteries in a Revolutionary War battlefield. Using ground-penetrating radar, experts searched in Lincolnton for traces of a mass grave where 70-100 soldiers were buried after the Battle of Ramsour's Mill on June 20, 1780. Results were inconclusive, but the project lasts for another two weeks. The focus will be not only on the mass grave site, but other locations on the 88-acre battlefield. The battle at Ramsour's Mill began at daybreak when 400 Patriots attacked more than 1,300 Loyalists (Tories), who supported England.
by newsobserver :: 2007-04-17 :: Battlefields & Battlegrounds

Archaeologists looking for treasurers of Revolutionary War hero
Searchers found a brass candleholder, a small British cannonball along with rifle shot and horse gear. It may not seem like much, but for those looking for hideaways of the crafty Revolutionary War hero, it's a treasure trove. Francis Marion was known as the Swamp Fox for hiding in Lowcountry bogs while organizing attacks. His hideouts still are a mystery. But now archaeologists are opening up one site where Marion may have slept in 1780. The physical evidence points to a Revolutionary War camp on the bluff. Some historians contend the British might have won the war if they hadn't been held up in South Carolina.
by archaeoblog :: 2007-04-13 :: Memorabilia and Militaria

Valley Forge to bring Washington's headquarters back to life
George Washington's headquarters may be the most important interpretive site at Valley Forge National Historical Park. The tiny house served as ground zero for planning for the Continental Army during its winter encampment at Valley Forge from December 1777 to June 1778 during the Revolutionary War. But officials say the building is hidden in an uninspiring setting, and they are taking steps to change the way visitors experience it. The $6 million project is designed to put the story of General Washington back into the home that was the tactical center for his army.
by - :: 2007-02-22 :: Museums, Memorials and Statues

Community input sought to save Revolutionary War battlefield
"The Battle of Eutaw Springs, on Sept. 8, 1781, between Gen. Nathaniel Greene and Col. Alexander Stuart, broke the British power in the Southern states and contributed to the Yorktown victory one month later." The Palmetto Conservation Foundation has a grant from the American Battlefield Protection Program. The goals are to determine the boundaries of the battlefield and to develop a preservation plan. The Battle of Eutaw Springs was one of the bloodiest battles of the war, and most Southern leaders fought at the battle. Congress authorized only 4 gold medals during the Revolutionary War, and one of them was at the Battle of Eutaw Springs.
by thetandd :: 2007-01-25 :: Battlefields & Battlegrounds

Archaeologist follows Revolutionary War hero Swamp Fox
Archaeologist Steve Smith is trying to find sites in the Pee Dee associated with Francis Marion to help create a Francis Marion Trail. Smith has spent the past months in the heart of Marion's early campaigns. He is working with the Francis Marion Trail Commission to determine which sites need further work for development for the new trail being created to honor the Revolutionary War hero nicknamed the Swamp Fox. Smith has been in the Port's Ferry area, where he said he has found several artifacts, including a side plate from a British Brown Bess Musket, buttons, a colonial period horseshoe and a buckle.
by dailycomet :: 2006-08-25 :: Heroes and Generals

Revolutionary War News is an edited review of hand-picked news and articles related to American War of Independence 1775-1783.