160 years later, unknown Union soldier to be buried at Arlington

This fall, the unidentified Union soldier will receive the honor he never got in life: a military burial at Arlington National Cemetery.

Researchers believe he was only 16 to 19 years old when he fought and died in the Second Battle of Manassas — also known as the Second Battle of Bull Run — in 1862, one of the Civil War's bloodiest engagements. Though his name may never be known, archaeologists uncovered clues to his story, including seven brass cuff buttons, six New York State Excelsior coat buttons and a rubber pocket comb found with his remains, suggesting he served in a New York infantry unit.

The three-day battle resulted in the deaths of about 3,300 soldiers, according to the National Park Service website, and brought the Confederacy to the height of its power.

"Every soldier who fought on this battlefield has a story, even if we may never know their name," Manassas National Battlefield Park Superintendent Kristofer Butcher said. "It has been our duty to care for these remains with dignity while preserving the history they represent."

Remains discovered at Civil War battlefield

The nearly complete burial was discovered in March 2024 during an archaeological excavation at Manassas National Battlefield Park, about 30 miles west of Washington, D.C.

The remains were found near the site of a Civil War field hospital on the John Dogan Farm, where Union troops fought and surgeons treated wounded soldiers during the battle, according to the National Park Service and an Interior Department memo.

The discovery is part of a larger effort to recover and identify remains associated with the battle.

In 2014, maintenance workers uncovered an amputation pit at the site, prompting years of archaeological work that revealed additional human remains and amputated limbs. Two soldiers recovered during that investigation were buried at Arlington National Cemetery in 2018.

Clues point to a New York soldier

While scientists have been unable to identify the soldier by name, artifacts buried with him helped paint a picture of who he may have been.

In addition to the military buttons and pocket comb, researchers found evidence suggesting he served in a New York infantry regiment. Analysis also found a lead artillery case-shot ball near his neck, though officials have not determined a definitive cause of death.

Scientists were able to estimate his age and learn details about his uniform, but his identity remains one of the Civil War's many enduring mysteries.

When will the soldier be buried?

The National Park Service plans to transfer the remains to the Office of Army Cemeteries after completing archaeological documentation and review requirements.

Arlington National Cemetery told USA Today the burial is expected to take place later this fall, though a specific date was not yet announced.

For a soldier who left for war as a teenager and never made it home, the ceremony will bring a measure of recognition more than 160 years after his death, ensuring that one of the Civil War's unknown dead is finally laid to rest with military honors.