Wade Catts, Archaeologist of Red Bank Excavations to speak in Portsmouth, RI

Wade Catts is the co-director of a team that excavated the remains of Hessian soldiers killed in a battle against Col. Christopher Greene and the 1st and 2nd Rhode Island Regiments at Fort Mercer in Red Bank, New Jersey (October 1777). On Tuesday, June 6th at 6:30 pm, Mr. Catts will address the public on this internationally recognized, award-winning project in a talk sponsored by the Portsmouth Historical Society (PHS) and the Battle of Rhode Island Association (BoRIA) at the PHS Headquarters at 870 East Main Road in Portsmouth. The lecture “The Archaeology of a Mass Burial Space at Fort Mercer, Red Bank Battlefield Park, Gloucester County, New Jersey” will summarize the battle’s history, site, and fieldwork, and provide an update on current analyses and future plans. This talk is the first under the banner of “The Col. Burton C. Quist Lecture Series”, in memory of our late founding Director, friend, and mentor who passed away in January of this year. This event is free and open to the public. This lecture will also be available via zoom. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wade-catts-archaeologist-of-red-bank-excavations-virtual-lecture-tickets-639455918867

Also, our partner, the Varnum Armory Museum in East Greenwich will be displaying at the lecture an original signed order from General George Washington ordering General James Varnum to dispatch Colonels Christopher Greene and Israel Angell to Red Bank.

Wade Catts is a Registered Professional Archeologist with more than 40 years of historical research, archaeology, historic preservation, and cultural resource management experience. He received his graduate degree in American History from the University of Delaware. He is the President and Principal with South River Heritage Consulting and is a past president of the American Cultural Resources Association.

The Portsmouth Historical Society is a volunteer nonprofit organization founded in 1938 dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of Portsmouth’s history. Our long-term vision is to protect and promote Portsmouth’s cultural heritage by creating a secure and sustainable facility, where, in conjunction with other local organizations, we can store, maintain, and display our collection of historic artifacts, offer lectures and research assistance to the public, and stimulate the study of our town’s history for future generations. We strongly believe that the uniqueness of Portsmouth today is defined by our past.

The Varnum Armory Museum preserves and shares Rhode Island military history to inspire and educate the public. Please take a virtual tour of their museum to learn more about their mission to encourage patriotism. You can participate with them through active membership and/or philanthropic support in their non-profit organization. Donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. For more information visit
https://varnumcontinentals.org/

The Battle of Rhode Island Association is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit committed to raising awareness of Rhode Island’s role in the War for Independence. This is accomplished by research, talks, living history events, publications, and our website (battleofrhodeisland.org). Donations may be made payable to “BoRIA” at PO Box 626, Portsmouth, RI 02871 or by visiting: https://battleofrhodeisland.org/donate/