Archeologists, Historians Unearth Remarkable Discovery at Camden Battlefield

November 11, 2022

Remains of fourteen soldiers excavated on the site of significant Revolutionary War battle

CHARLESTON, S.C. – November 11, 2022 -- The South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust today announced a significant historic discovery at the Revolutionary War Camden Battlefield. The Trust, acting on behalf of Historic Camden Foundation, contracted with the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of South Carolina to excavate a number of bodies of Revolutionary War soldiers killed in the August 16, 1780 Battle of Camden. A team of archaeologists from the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, along with biological anthropologists from the Richland County Coroner’s office and the University of South Carolina unearthed the skeletal remains and accompanying artifacts of 14 Revolutionary War soldiers.

“These young men demonstrated their allegiance in an intense battle for liberty. They are truly America’s first veterans,” said Doug Bostick, CEO, South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust. “We have a responsibility to honor their sacrifice by ensuring their remains are protected in perpetuity and their stories of bravery are shared.”

These human remains, some discovered less than six inches below the surface in seven separate locations across the battlefield, were located during site research, and were carefully excavated, and removed over an eight-week period beginning in September. “This discovery is particularly significant to the history of our state and nation,” said Dr. Steven D. Smith, research professor, South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology and principal investigator for the project. “This is a rare opportunity to examine and analyze a large sample of Revolutionary War soldiers to get information about their health and diet, age, gender, and compare the forensic data to the historic record.”

Based on preliminary field examinations, the team believes that twelve bodies are Patriot Continental soldiers from either Maryland or Delaware, one is likely a North Carolina Loyalist, and one served with the British 71^st Regiment of Foot, Fraser’s Highlanders. SCIAA archeologist James Legg has conducted research on the Camden Battlefield for more than 40 years and led the onsite field team. “People visit battlefields like Camden, Cowpens and Kings Mountain every day and don’t often consider that they are walking in unmarked cemeteries. The dead are still there,” remarked Legg. “The work we are doing honors their sacrifice by shedding light on details that are not yet documented in the historical record and by providing them with decent marked graves for the contemplation of battlefield visitors.”

Forensic anthropologists from the Richland County Coroner’s Office assisted in the final stages of removal, transport to the coroner's office, and will assist in the forensic study of the remains. “The Richland County Coroner’s Office is one of only two coroner’s offices in the state with forensic anthropologists on staff,” commented Dr. Bill Stevens, deputy coroner, director of anthropology, Richland County Coroner’s Office. “Over the next five months, we will gather information to uncover details such as age, race, and potentially the region of their birth, further telling the personal stories of these soldiers.”

In 1780, Camden was the oldest and largest town in the Carolina backcountry. It was strategic to both the British Army, which occupied the town, and the Patriots in the Revolutionary War. Following a series of strategic errors before and during the Battle of Camden, the Patriot army under command of Major General Horatio Gates was soundly defeated. Although the Battle of Camden was disastrous for the American cause, it ushered in changes in military leadership that altered the war’s course. After the battle, Major General Nathanael Greene was promoted to command of the Southern Campaign, and his leadership ultimately led to the evacuation of the British army from Charleston, South Carolina, in December 1782.

Historic Camden Foundation, a non-profit with the mission to protect, educate, and celebrate Camden’s colonial and Revolutionary War history, owns the largest portion of the Camden battlefield. “As property owners, we are the caretakers and stewards of not only the resources we can see above ground, but also to the rich history below ground,” remarked Cary Briggs, executive director, Historic Camden Foundation.

The Liberty Trail, a partnership between the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust and the American Battlefield Trust, owns another recently acquired part of the Camden battlefield. The Liberty Trail has introduced Voices of Camden, an immersive audio play that is an excellent companion to The Liberty Trail app. The Liberty Trail is also writing, designing, and will be installing new interpretive signage on the Camden battlefield.

Planning is underway by SCBPT and Camden area partners for reinterment ceremonies April 20-22, 2023, in Camden. Bostick continued, “When these young men marched into the darkness on that summer night in 1780, they did so out of love for their country despite the consequences that may befall them. Our intent is to lay them to rest with the respect and honor they earned more than two centuries ago.”

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About the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust

The South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust seeks to protect and preserve these battlefields and historic military sites across South Carolina to not only honor the soldiers who gave their lives in service to their country, but also provide current and future generations a space at which to remember, contemplate, discuss, and learn how our history not only shapes the past, but is also relevant to the present and future of our great state. Over the last 30 years, the organization has protected 72 sites. For more information visit, www.scbattlegroundtrust.org.

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Camden 9B No Longer “Unknown”

June 29, 2026

Archaeologists Dr. Steve Smith and Jim Legg worked to find artifacts to tell the story at the Camden Battlefield for over 20 years. They knew the grave was there. The final one to complete the project. Hits from metal detectors again revealed they were in the right place. The grave site was slowly excavated, and hours ran into days. As the grave opening was expanded, the revelation was solemn. Not one, not two, but a total of five soldiers in a grave only about 14 inches deep and no more than four feet wide. They were known as Camden 9A through 9E. Continental USA buttons and other artifacts proved which side they were on. Forensic Anthropologists, Dr. Madeline Atwell and Dr. Bill Stevens meticulously worked to recover the remains, which were removed to the Richland County Coroner’s office. More forensics study was done, and the potential for DNA evidence was contemplated. The late Doug Bostick, Executive Director/CEO of the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust, started this amazing journey. His concept to protect and preserve soldiers from graves that were threatened by erosion and other hazards led to the project in the Fall of 2022. The initial plan was to excavate six grave sites. Ultimately, eight grave sites were found and excavated, revealing 14 soldiers. Each was unknown. Artifacts showed the army for which they fought. Possible brigade-sized units were surmised from the location of their graves on the battlefield. They were honored in April 2023 at Bethesda Presbyterian Church in Camden, and at the battlefield where about 400 of their comrades in arms still lie in shallow, unmarked graves. The Continentals now lie at rest in the Presbyterian Burial Grounds, managed by the historic Quaker Cemetery in Camden. And beneath the marble headstones marked “Unknown,” they waited. The Historic Camden Foundation, under Cary Briggs and Stacey Ferguson, led the efforts to determine whether the DNA could possibly be used to determine the identity of any of the recovered soldiers. They contracted Allison Peacock of FHD Forensics and her team to work their genetic and genealogy magic. And it worked. An identity was proven, and an anxious family awaited the official word. And when the word did come, the team effort that made this possible coalesced for the next step in the journey: Rick Wise traveled to Maryland to tell the descendants about their ancestor’s steps and sacrifice during the Revolutionary War. In an emotional address to the family, Wise emphasized the gravity of the moment, noting that it was the first time in nearly 246 years that his name, Private John Pumphrey, was spoken out loud for his relatives to hear his name. Tears flowed from relatives as Wise detailed the harrowing experiences of Pumphrey and the Maryland troops, who marched on battlefields and sites that echo with history: Brandywine, Germantown, Valley Forge, Monmouth Courthouse, and Camden. Wise illustrated their courage in how Pumphrey and his comrades held the line against overwhelming odds at Camden . He characterized their actions as selfless sacrifice, intended to secure the freedoms enjoyed not by themselves, but by generations of Americans, including ours today. The successful DNA identification of Private Pumphrey is a crucial breakthrough, allowing historians and the family to trace his specific journey to the Battle of Camden . Private John Pumphrey is representative of all those who remain in shallow, unmarked graves across the hallowed grounds of the Camden Battlefield. As we approach the 250th Anniversary of America and the Declaration of Independence, let us say a prayer for our first Veterans, who lie in hallowed grounds across our original 13 colonies, who gave their all for a new nation not yet realized, the United States of America.

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