'America's First Veterans': Historians Need Your Help Identifying the Remains of Revolutionary War Troops

The Revolutionary War's Battle of Camden did not go well for the Continental Army or its patriot militias. Following France's entry into the war on the American side, the British subdued its unruly colonies by retaking control of the southern colonies of Virginia, Georgia and the Carolinas. American Gen. Horatio Gates, intending to follow up on his stunning 1777 victory at Saratoga, met the British in South Carolina in 1780. The result was a total collapse of Gates' forces and nearly 2,000 American casualties.

More than 240 years later, 14 of those casualties were unearthed on the historic battlefield. In 2022, the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust, the South Carolina Institute for Archaeology and Anthropology and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources respectfully exhumed the remains from their shallow graves. Now they are looking for help in identifying them.

Forensics labs need Americans with 18th-century ancestral ties to the states of Maryland, Delaware or North Carolina to come forward for genetic testing. If successful, it will be the oldest unknown subject identification ever made in the United States.

The Battle of Camden was a stunning defeat, even at the time. After Gates' stunning victory at Saratoga, France officially entered the Revolutionary War, closely followed by Spain. Unable to make effective gains in the northern colonies, the British concentrated their efforts in the South. Savannah, Georgia, fell in 1778, followed by Charleston in 1780. That summer, British Gen. Sir Henry Clinton then moved inland, defeating rebel forces in South Carolina and leaving only guerrilla militia forces for Lord Cornwallis to mop up.

In response, Gen. George Washington and the Continental Congress sent a new Continental Army south under the command of Gates to retake the southern areas once dominated by patriot sentiment. Gates' Army consisted of 1,100 regular troops, 2,100 North Carolina militiamen and 700 Virginians when he stopped short of Camden, South Carolina, on Aug. 7, 1780.

Camden was defended by 1,000 British troops, reinforced by Lord Cornwallis with more than 1,200 men on Aug. 13. Two days later, the two armies were maneuvering into position to square off outside the city. On Aug. 16, both sides were deployed and Gates' rebels outnumbered the British by almost two to one.

Gates' most infamous error happened right away. As was the custom of 18th-century warfare, the American general positioned his best and most experienced troops, Continental soldiers from Maryland and Delaware, on his right flank. His Virginia militiamen were positioned on the left flank and North Carolinian militia in the center. On the British side of the battlefield, Cornwallis did the same, putting the 23rd and 33rd Regiments of Foot on his right, led by an experienced commander, Lt. Col. James Webster.

When the battle started, Webster led the best of Cornwallis' army in a bayonet charge against the Americans' most inexperienced militia. The Virginians broke almost immediately, followed by the North Carolina militia. Except for the Continental Army on Gates' right, the American position collapsed and fled. The regular troops tried to make a counterattack toward the British left, but suddenly surrounded and overwhelmed, they were also forced to flee.

With British Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton's Dragoons cutting off the Continentals' escape, the Americans were totally routed. Those who escaped were forced to trudge through a nearby swamp. The rebels suffered 1,900 killed, wounded or captured while the British suffered 234. To this day, Camden is one of the worst American defeats in U.S. military history. Gates was fired as commander of the southern army and never held another command.

In November 2022, casualties from the Battle of Camden were unearthed and exposed to the elements after decades of erosion and treasure hunting. The discovery led the Historic Camden Foundation, the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust and the Richland County Coroner's Office to carefully recover the exposed remains. The bodies were carefully X-rayed, cleaned and reassembled.

In all, 14 bodies were discovered -- 12 patriots, one Loyalist and a soldier with the British 71st Regiment of Foot, Fraser's Highlanders -- were recovered and given proper funeral ceremonies the following April, complete with a U.S. Air Force flyover.

"The burials were very cursory in nature," SCIAA archaeologist James Legg said in a statement. "Prisoners of war were likely made to bury the dead in extremely shallow graves -- we're talking 12 to 14 inches deep. Some of them even showed evidence of plow marks from 20th century farming, that's how poorly these soldiers were treated."

FHD Forensics, which performs investigative genetic genealogy for law enforcement, began DNA analyses for the 14 unknown soldiers. Astrea Forensics has since successfully resequenced genetic profiles for two of the soldiers, with the rest forthcoming. One of the bodies, believed to be a North Carolina loyalist of American Indian descent, was not tested and was reburied outside of the public eye.

To identify the remaining troops, FHD Forensics is asking anyone with ties to colonial Maryland, Delaware or North Carolina or to the Battle of Camden to join the project.

"They are truly America's first veterans," Doug Bostick, the late CEO of the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust, said in a statement. "We have a responsibility to honor their sacrifice by ensuring their remains are protected in perpetuity and their stories of bravery are shared."

To join FHD Forensic's Camden Burials project by submitting your information and DNA, fill out the Camden Burials form. If you have already completed a genetic test, FHD asks that you upload the raw data to GED Match before filling out the form.

To learn more about the archeological excavation of the historic remains, visit the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust website.

Want to Learn More About Military Life?

Whether you're thinking of joining the military, looking for post-military careers or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to Military.com to have military news, updates and resources delivered directly to your inbox.