MILFORD -- They don't know his name, where he came from or even how he died.

But it was meaningful nonetheless for the crowd of more than 100 who gathered Saturday morning to hold a funeral and rebury the skull believed to belong to a Revolutionary War soldier with military honors.

"All of us owe him what we owe all veterans and all those who died for the country," said Colonel William MacMullen, of the Fort Nathan Hale reenactment militia in New Haven. "He is no different than a soldier killed in Iraq, Afghanistan. (His remains are) a symbol of what the impermanence of life is, for even in death he was disinterred and we have to bury him once more."

The funeral was held in First United Church of Christ Congregational on West Main Street and resembled the Colonial era, with costumed re-enactors from several area militias and a fife and drum corps playing "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" as they marched into the church. Later, they led mourners in a procession to the ancient Milford Cemetery, where the remains were laid to rest.

The unidentified skull was unearthed in the 1840s as railroad tracks were being laid near a spot in Milford where 46 Continental Army soldiers died of smallpox. British troops had captured the soldiers in the Battle of New York in late 1776 and abandoned them in early 1777 near what is now the cemetery.

The skull has traveled among historians, archaeologists and other experts since its discovery. Experts determined Advertisement it belonged to a man of European descent who was between 25 and 35 years old. The skull is so well preserved that two of its teeth still remain.

The Smithsonian Institution in Washington returned the skull this month to Connecticut State Archaeologist Nicholas Bellantoni, who drove last week from Hartford to Milford with it in a cardboard box.

City Historian Richard Platt, who with his wife was dressed in Colonial attire, complete with tri-cornered hat and bonnet, said there is no way beyond matching DNA with a descendant to prove the skull came from a Revolutionary soldier or one of the smallpox victims, but circumstances suggest that.

"It's a very appropriate thing that we are doing," Platt said. "Certainly, it's symbolic of the whole group and by honoring him, we're honoring all veterans."

Milford resident Liz Rivera said she brought her grandchildren, 5 and 3, to the funeral to teach them about patriotism and the importance of history.

"I wanted to instill in them the love I have for it," Rivera said. "We've been following the history and path of this body for a while now."

Emma Herz, 8, who was visiting Milford for the holiday weekend from Millerton, N.Y., said the interment was an interesting historical moment.

"I thought it was great to see a soldier from a long, long time ago be buried and it was a great honor because my grandfather was in World War II," the third-grader said.

Local history buffs Gary Gianotti and Tom Beirne earlier this year tracked down the skull, which had been in the possession of the University of Connecticut's archaeology department in Storrs since the early 1990s, when a state law prohibited private museums from owning human remains.

Beirne read the names of the 46 smallpox victims at the beginning of the funeral.

The skull, in a long wooden box, was lowered with ropes Saturday into its final resting place at the foot of the Revolutionary War monument believed to mark the site of the soldiers' mass grave in Milford Cemetery.

"It took a long time for him to get a proper burial," said MacMullen. "Now he has that. He's finally where he belongs, with his compatriots."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
A grave story How Milford's Revolutionary War mass grave came to be: The 200 Continental Army soldiers, sick with smallpox and abandoned by the British here on Jan. 1, 1777, were likely captured during the Battle of Long Island, or the losing fight for Manhattan. They had been held since August in a British naval base at Wallabout Bay, which later became the Brooklyn Navy Yard. As many as 1,000 men were crammed into the steaming hulk of a prison ship, and up to 20 would share a single cell in the New York jail. The abandonment of the POWs here was not a humanitarian act, but a dumping of dying men by captors trying to avoid becoming sick themselves. None of the 46 men who died here were from Milford. The closest was from Stratford, the farthest from Spain. Many more likely died on their way home, some walking as far as Middletown. Local merchant Stephen Stow cared for the ill men in a "pest house" located on the present site of City Hall. Stow died of smallpox himself and is buried with the soldiers. A 30-foot obelisk made of Portland sandstone was erected in 1852 to mark the spot of the common grave in Milford Cemetery. The Soldier's Monument, as it was known, was paid for with $600 in state funds appropriated by the General Assembly and by contributions from the people of Milford. More than 3,000 people marched from Town Hall to the cemetery, accompanied by the New Haven Brass Band, for the laying of the cornerstone on Oct. 28, 1852. The featured speaker that day was Lt. Gov. Charles Hobby Pond, a Milford resident who would be elected governor the following year. Among those attending the ceremony, which included the burying of a time capsule, were several people who had attended the soldiers' burial 75 years earlier. The soldiers were abandoned on Fort Trumbull Beach. The Milford Historic Preservation Trust, led by Regina Cahill, holds a re-enactment every New Year's Eve at the more accessible Gulf Beach, where the trust has also placed a marker. The incident led to a treaty between the United States and Prussia in 1785 that mandated the humane treatment of prisoners of war, and thus indirectly to the Geneva Convention. Prussian soldiers had served as mercenaries on behalf of the British during the Revolution. Sources: Forgotten Patriots by Edwin Burrows, Basic Books, 2008; Connecticut Historical Collections, John Barber, 1838; Milford Trust for Historic Preservation.

The Wreaths Across America is a wonderful opportunity for our Society to honor veterans during the holiday season. I am asking each compatriot and Branch to participate in the Wreath laying in their community. Please go to the following web site:

http://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org

Follow the link "Locations" then find "Connecticut". The link will take you to a list of Cemeteries in our State with the name of the point of contact. I encourage you to contact that person telling them you are from our Connecticut Society and that you wish to participate. I'm also asking the Branch Presidents to encourage their members to a participate in a Branch activity supporting this very wonderful project.

Most ceremonies are in the days surrounding December 7 and 8.

Please after your participation and let me know what cemeteries you visited and the number of Compatriots in attendance. Thank you in advance for your efforts. I remain

You Obedient Servant,
Kenneth D. Roach

Kenneth Duane Roach
President, Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution
860-688-8091
FAX 860-687-0792

The GRS is a growing collection of databases that provide access to many materials collected by the DAR over the past 119 years. Included in this collection of databases is the GRC National Index which has been available to researchers for the past few years. There are still some kinks we're working out here and there.

When you go to the link above, you will find several tabs that will enable searching in the various databases:

Ancestor - established DAR Revolutionary War Ancestors and basic information about them with listings of the applications submitted by descendants who joined the DAR [updated daily]

Member - limited access to information on deceased/former DAR members - not current members.

Descendants - index of generations in applications between the DAR member and the Revolutionary War ancestor. There is much eighteenth and nineteenth-century information here. [ongoing indexing project]

GRC- everyname index to 20,000 typescript volumes (some still being indexed) of genealogical records such as cemeteries, Bibles, etc. This index is not limited to the period of the American Revolution at all.

Resources [In particular, the digitized DAR Library Revolutionary Pension Extract Card Index and the Analytical Index Cards.

Other information sources will be coming in the near future, mostly relating to Revolutionary War service, bibliographies, Forgotten Patriots (updates), etc. Read the introductions to these to learn why these are both important genealogical indexes. For example, the Rev. War pension index includes the names of people mentioned in those pensions that were abstracted (not just the pensioner or widow)!!!!]

Library Catalog - our book, periodical, and manuscript holdings

Each of these has interrelated content, and a description of each is given more fully on the website. You will notice restricted information in many search results. This is the result of a concerted effort to protect the identity of our members while providing historical genealogical information to researchers.

The national numbers of members (without the names of living members) given in the search results are needed to order copies of applications and supplemental applications. They do not lead online researchers to any other information about the member.

15 members of the Connecticut Line marched in the Veterans Day Parade yesterday in Hartford, Connecticut:

Wayne Bickley - Putnam
Harry Clarke - Hale
George Crede - Putnam
Damien Cregeau - Wadsworth
Dan Dudley - Hale
Lee Gerlander - Putnam
Todd Gerlander - Putnam
Randy Gerlander - Putnam
Mike Juhase - Putnam
Robert Rivard - At Large
Jim Rothgeb - Hale
John Towle - Putnam
Russell Wirtalla - Putnam

Bonnie Burke - Camp-Follower
Pam Hall - Camp-Follower

I thought we looked Good! We also fired muskets this year. I think we all agree that it looked Great, and the public really enjoyed it. For those who did not attend, we put a three man skirmish line out in front of the CTSSAR banner, commanded by Major Michael Juhase, who did a Great job commanding the skirmish line. By doing this, we were able to both fire muskets, and have the Line continue to march in good order.

That was my biggest concern, being that over the past two years now we are beginning to win parade awards for marching, etc., and we needed to add the firing without losing the marching.

We will again fire muskets in the St. Patrick's Day Parade next year, and possibly other parades (when permitted) under this system.

Not many events left on our 2009 Campaign Calendar, but, still a few to earn MORE Detachment points for 2009 Connecticut Line CTSSAR Awards.

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2009

State Meeting/Luncheon of the Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution

Capt. Daniel Packer Inn
32 Water Street
Mystic, Connecticut

See the CTSSAR State Newsletter, "The Connecticut Line", for Details and Meeting Announcements. Posted on-line at: www.ConnecticutSAR.org

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2009

New London Lights & Song - Santa in the Schoolhouse Nathan Hale Schoolhouse New London, Connecticut

12:00 PM (noon) to 6:00 PM (possibly 4:00 PM, depending on amount of public)

I am sure Stephen can use some Color Guard members to help out at this event. Dress for COLD weather.

As of today, I am planning to attend.

Contact:

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2009

Tree Lighting Ceremony
Gov. Jonathan Trumbull's War Office
Lebanon, Connecticut

5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

I am sure Stephen can use some Color Guard members to help out at this event. Dress for COLD weather.

As of today, I am planning to attend.

Contact:

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2009

Boston Tea Party Reenactment
Old South Meeting House
Boston, Massachusetts

WEATHER PERMITTING, We will walk the Freedom Trail, visit Historic Sites, and have lunch at the Green Dragon Tavern. ALL Connecticut Line members who Registered were accepted to attend as volunteers. Members who did NOT pre-register, and want to attend, contact me for ticket information. You will need to purchase a ticket at $7 each.

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Put your faith in God and keep your powder dry,

Todd L. Gerlander Colonel Commanding

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2009
Annual Massing of the Colors
First Congregational Church
250 Main St Wethersfield, Connecticut

2:30 PM - Assembly of Societies and Colors 3:00 PM - Service

Probably want to arrive 1:30/2:00 PM

The Connecticut Line will carry in and post the CTSSAR Colors.

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009
10th Annual Connecticut Veterans Day Parade Hartford, Connecticut

Assembly: 11:00 AM

Step-Off: 01:00 PM

Details: www.ctveteransdayparade.org

Plan to arrive early for parking.

I will post more information soon. I should be receiving the full set of instructions by the end of October.

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2009
State Meeting/Luncheon of the Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution
Capt. Daniel Packer Inn
32 Water Street
Mystic, Connecticut

See the CTSSAR State Newsletter, "The Connecticut Line", for Details and Meeting Announcements.

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2009
Lights & Song - Santa in the Schoolhouse Nathan Hale Schoolhouse New London, Connecticut

I am sure Stephen can use some Color Guard members to help out at this event.

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2009
Tree Lighting Ceremony
Gov. Jonathan Trumbull's War Office
Lebanon, Connecticut

I am sure Stephen can use some Color Guard members to help out at this event.

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2009
Boston Tea Party Reenactment
Old South Meeting House
Boston, Massachusetts

Reenactor Registration is now OPEN. Every reenactor/volunteer must pre-register. See previous e-mail on the Boston Tea Party for details.

Registration Closes October 23, 2009.

We will walk the Freedom Trail, visit Historic Sites, and have lunch at the Green Dragon Tavern, if we get accepted to attend. We will know October 26th.

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Put your faith in God and keep your powder dry, Todd L. Gerlander Colonel Commanding

• Group Tours (approximately 40 minutes long) begins at 6pm.lasting until all have gone through.
• Please bring your flashlight
• If its rains, the event will be held nearby at the York Masonic Hall, 784 Main St. (opposite Central Ave. corner form Raymond Library)

• See Victorian era mourning dress, artwork and coffins, quilts and photos
• Impact of Civil War on burial customs.
• How to research for Civil War veteran ancestors
• Displays of early history of Center Cemetery
• Mourning jewelry and cemetery craft items will also be on sale.