National Park in Gloucester County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Archaeology at Red Bank
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, October 22, 2017
1. Archaeology at Red Bank Marker (NEW MARKER)
On November 11, 1777, American soldiers at Fort Mercer tested two cannons recovered from the Augusta, a British warship that exploded after running aground the day after the Battle of Red Bank. Both cannons exploded when tested, injuring and killing members of the gun crew. This fragment was part of a cannon that weighed approximately 5,400 pounds and fired 24-pound projectiles up to one-half mile. Archaeologists found this cannon using ground-penetrating radar and excavated it on September 11, 2015.
This portion of the original cannon weighs 848 pounds and lay undisturbed for over 230 years only two feet below ground. It is displayed a few feet from where archaeologists uncovered it. We can draw on this and other newly unearthed artifacts to learn more about the extraordinary events of the Battle of Red Bank and its aftermath, as well as the hardships and challenges soldiers and civilians faced on the front lines of the American Revolution.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Revolutionary. A significant historical date for this entry is November 11, 1777.
Location. 39° 52.249′ N, 75° 11.36′ W. Marker is in National Park, New Jersey, in Gloucester County. Marker can be reached from Hessian Road, on the right when traveling west. Marker is located in Red Bank Battlefield Historical
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Fort Mercer (within shouting distance of this marker); Fort Mercer at Red Bank / Fort Mercer is Alerted (within shouting distance of this marker); The Battle of Red Bank (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Fort Mercer (within shouting distance of this marker); Brigadier General Hugh Mercer (within shouting distance of this marker); African American Soldiers (within shouting distance of this marker); Flag of Fort Mercer (within shouting distance of this marker); The Naval Engagement (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in National Park.
More about this marker. Photographs on the marker depict an Archaeologist from JMA, a CCRG Company, using ground-penetrating radar to locate buried artifacts, and Reenactors portraying a Continental artillery regiment.
A diagram of a cannon on the right side of the marker contains the caption “The fragment on display makes up the section of the diagram indicated by the dotted rectangle. The original 24-pounder would have looked similar to this cannon.”
Also see . . .
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, October 22, 2017
2. NEW Archaeology at Red Bank Marker
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, October 23, 2016
3. Archaeology at Red Bank Marker (ORIGINAL MARKER)
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, October 23, 2016
4. Archaeology at Red Bank Marker
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, October 23, 2016
5. Colonial Soldier at the Red Bank Marker
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, October 23, 2016
6. Closeup of Cannon Found at Red Bank Battlefield
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, October 23, 2016
7. Cannon Fragment Closeup
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, October 23, 2016
8. Destruction of the British Frigate Augusta.
This plaque depicting the blowing up of the Augusta appears on a nearby monument to General Hugh Mercer. The recovered fragment is from a cannon from this ship.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 24, 2016, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 361 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 22, 2017, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on October 24, 2016, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.
