July 4th Ceremony Will Start Holiday With A Bang In Belleville

BELLEVILLE, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the Belleville Historical Society. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site.

The morning of the 4th of July will kick off with a big bang at the old Belleville Dutch Reformed Church cemetery. The Belleville Historical Society will host the 21st annual July 4 morning ceremony at 10 a.m. The church, now La Senda Antigua, is located at 171 Main Street at the corner of Rutgers Street opposite the Belleville-North Arlington bridge.

The cemetery is the final resting place of sixty-eight Revolutionary War soldiers. On September 12, 1777 the "Battle of Second River" took place at the site, the only battle fought in Essex County during the American Revolution. Josiah Hornblower, who served in the Continental Congress and Col. Philip Van Cortlandt, commander of the Essex County Regiment are buried at the site.

There will be a display of reproductions of a dozen different flags used during the Revolutionary War. The 45-minute ceremony will include the raising of the Betsy Ross 13-star flag, the singing of the national anthem and the roll call of the names of the 68 soldiers, and will conclude with the firing of a 21-gun cannon salute. For more information, contact Michael Perrone at bellevillehistory@gmail.com or call 973-780-7852.

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