06/03/2026
There are many Revolutionary veterans buried all over the Highlands, from commanding officers of General George Washington's military to members of the militia. You can find them at Vail Memorial Cemetery in Parsippany, Ringwood Manor Cemetery in Ringwood, and the Whippany Burying Ground in Hanover, just to name a very select few.
But have you ever found yourself wondering what happened to the British who died during battles? Were their bodies shipped home? Were they buried in mass graves?
We can't tell you what happened to all of them, but did you know that there is a British Captain buried in the Pluckemin Presbyterian Church Burial Ground?
Captain William Leslie was the son of David Leslie, 6th Earl of Leven, and was born in Scotland. He was sent to America in 1776 as the Captain of the 17th Regiment of Foot and fought in the Battle of Long Island and the Battle of Fort Washington before being killed during the Battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777. He was 26 when he died. Leslie's body was loaded onto a wagon and was taken by the Americans.
The famous Dr. Benjamin Rush of Philadelphia had been friends with Captain Leslie, having met while Rush was studying at the University of Edinburgh a decade prior. On January 4, Dr. Rush learned of Leslie's death. And on January 5, after learning of their friendship, General Washington ordered that Leslie be buried with military honors.
📸 1: Captain William Leslie's headstone and the Pluckemin Presbyterian Church in Bedminster. Photo Credit - Herb August, Highlands Council.
📸 2: Captain William Leslie's headstone in Bedminster. Photo Credit - Herb August, Highlands Council.
The inscription on the stone reads "In Memory of the Hon Capt WILL.M LESLIE, of the 17th British Regiment, Son of the Earl of Leven, in Scotland. He fell Jan.y 3.d, 1777 Aged 26 years, at the battle of Princeton His friend, Benj. Rush, M.D., of Philadelphia hath caused this Stone to be erected as a mark of his esteem for his worth and of his respect for his noble family"
📸 3: "The Death of General Mercer at the Battle of Princeton, January 3, 1777" by John Turnbull (American, 1756-1843). The painting depicts the Battle of Princeton, with Captain William Leslie depicted to the far right, standing, yet mortally wounded. The painting is currently on display at the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, Connecticut.
The Pluckemin Presbyterian Church
