“Located in a parcel of woods on Rt 9 – Old Albany Post Road- and Van Wyck Lake Road in Fishkill, New York, (one mile South from US Interstate 84) the identified burial ground of the Fishkill Supply Depot can be seen across the road from Cafe Maya.
The Fishkill Supply Depot had the largest single burial ground of the Revolutionary War.
At its peak, the Encampment, built under orders from George Washington with its headquarters at the Van Wyck Homestead, was a small city which included extensive barracks and officer huts for thousands of soldiers, guard house and palisade, a prison, major hospital, artillery placements, storage buildings, an armory, blacksmith shops, stables, parade grounds, and a powder magazine which supplied all Northern Patriot forces. Today, the only maintained structure is the Van Wyck Homestead, a farmhouse which served as a headquarters for military operations.
The Depot was a key strategic center of the American Revolution, established by George Washington and visited repeatedly by many famous Patriots. Known as the “Military nerve center of the Continental army,” the Depot was one of three major encampments along with Morristown and Valley Forge. Hallowed history happened here – hundreds of the original soldiers who fought to found the nation died and were buried here in unmarked graves.
Reflecting the site’s importance, the Fishkill Supply Depot and Encampment was placed on the National Register for Historic Places in 1974 (Ref #74001230).
In 2007, archaeologists confirmed what local historians and others could not: the existence of a Continental Army burial ground where at least 300 soldiers lie forgotten in unmarked graves upon land once known as the Fishkill Supply Depot. Up until then, the burial ground was considered folklore, something of local legend, no solid proof had ever been discovered. Unfortunately, this single parcel of undisturbed land was found to be privately-owned and slated for commercial development. At risk was not only the soldiers’ cemetery (the largest burial ground of the Revolutionary War) but other identified ruins. Thus far through painstaking research the names of 60 soldiers remains have been identified. (Find a Grave).
The following articles add additional information.
A Revolutionary War Cemetery Reveals More Secrets
25 soldiers in Revolutionary War-era cemetery in Fishkill identified
Revolutionary War Dead Lie Forgotten Along Route 9
As the graves were unmarked no actual gravestones can be seen – just the single stone commemorating the cemetery. The inscription on the stone reads:
In memory of those who served in the continental army while at the Fishkill Supply Depot. Near here lie buried the Revolutionary Ware Heroes, patriots who were among the first to fight for our freedom. On behalf of these valiant soldiers we dedicate this monument to their courage and to all the men and women who answer the call of duty to serve this great nation. Placed by veterans of the US armed services on Veteran’s Day, November 11, 2014.
Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.