By: Jaden Sun

First of all, this is not what you think, this isn’t some massive homicide. Instead, this is the aftermath of the battle between the Americans and Hessians, a special forces group of Germans dating back from the revolutionary war. These 14 unfortunate soldiers died during the Battle of Red Banks circa 1777 at Fort Mercer. The bodies were found at about 2 pm, on June 27.

Why is this so monumental, especially during times like these? Well, these bodies were the first revolutionary war casualties to be dug up since 1904, more than a century ago. “I didn’t really think we were going to get a mass burial,” Mr. Catts, a site director, said.

On the day of the attack in 1777, the Hessians probably thought the same. The force of 2,300 mercenaries was led by Col. Carl Emil Ulrich von Donop, a commander who lost his temper quickly. They thought that was going to be an easy victory, after all, their superior numbers surely can overtake the American’s 543 soldiers. Colonel von Donop was confident of victory.

Fort Mercer “will be Fort Donop or I shall be dead,” he wrote to Gen. William Howe, commander of the British military forces. According to Revolutionary War New Jersey, yes that’s its name, 514 Hessians fell in battle, marking a decisive victory for all of the time to remember.