It's going to take more time, but a former state Archaeologist believes the remains found in Ridgefield in December were Revolutionary War soldiers.  Nick Bellantoni discussed his findings last night at Quinnipiac University. 

While it's not confirmed, he is struggling to find another explanation for it.  Calling it a hypothesis, Bellantoni still has a number of unanswered questions like whose side they fought on, why there was no sign of musketball and why they remained clothed.  The other theory was that the men were from a Connecticut farming family, but their burial doesn't fit with the practices of the time. 

He suggested that the bones could provide answers on whether they died of bayonet attack and guessed that the clothes were too bloody to pass on to the living. 

He estimates it will take at least a year to get more definitive answers, including where the men were from, possible illness and what they are.  Bronze buttons,two pewter buttons, and tiny fabric scraps attached to some of the buttons are still being analyzed.  There doesn't appear to be any insignia on the buttons, which Bellantoni says could mean the men fought with the Patriots, who didn’t have the standard blue coats yet often associated with the time.

Bellantoni says finding undisturbed skeletons from the Revolutionary War is an extremely rare event, and is going to be extremely significant. 

The Ridgefield Historical Society has set up a fund to help cover the research costs and are applying for  a battle field grant to survey the mile-long area of the April 1777 battle.