Andy Mills' roots at the Hillside Cemetery go way back. His great-grandfather, an abolitionist and member of Congress, is buried there.

Mills has been coming to the cemetery since he was little, but there’s one thing that’s always left him perplexed.

“My grandmother would take me up here, and she'd show me these graves that are all jumbled together," Mills said.

The mass of headstones are spaced so close together in spots that it’s almost impossible to read them. The outdoor elements have made it hard to identify the ones that aren’t packed in.

But a new development has excited Mills.

Two brothers, descendants of the original pioneer of Middletown David Moore, were brought to the site while looking for his final resting place. While they didn’t find him, they did find five graves that belong to soldiers from the American Revolution.

Through fundraising, the cemetery was able to purchase a headstone commemorating those fighting in the nation’s founding, which has provided some additional information about who they were.

“The notable ones, one of them, which is my ancestor, is Captain Daniel Denton," he said. "He was in the Battle of Quebec, which, if you know your history, that was one of the first battles of the war.”

Mills said that uncovering such history is important, both for honoring the dead and the lessons they can teach now.

“Anyone who survived those times and had a rough go of it." he said. "The fight for liberty, I feel, is an important fight, and this has implications for today in terms of fighting for democratic principles.”

Mills added that they’re trying to include more historical markers at some of the historical figures buried there, including several Civil War Medal of Honor recipients.