Revolutionary War musket balls recovered at Fort Plain, NY

Being offered are two Revolutionary War musket balls, being .69 caliber, most typical of the era. They are part of a cache of boxed dug artifacts that were identified and put into separate boxes 50+ years ago. They were recovered at the site of Fort Plain, NY.

They were found in the area of where Colonel Marinus Willett’s Battalion was located. His force was made up of half New York and half Massachusetts troops. The fort was on a hilltop that overlooks the Mohawk River and Otsquago Creek. The site was strategically chosen for its defensibility and valley location.

Fort Plain was built by Colonel Dayton of the American Army of the North (headquarters at Albany) in 1776 on present Fort Hill. It held the American Revolutionary Army Valley Headquarters from 1780 until the close of hostilities in the fall of 1783. Four adjacent small forts formed outposts for the main defense.

Revolutionary War relics have always been hard to find. With the upcoming of the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding next year, there will be a revitalized interest. Just about all Revolutionary War relics and artifacts will be in demand, which will only add to their scarcity and price.