Researchers Work to Identify Revolutionary War Casualties

CAMDEN, SOUTH CAROLINA—WLTX.com reports that researchers have been working to identify the remains of 14 Revolutionary War soldiers killed during the Battle of Camden in 1780. The remains were recovered from seven locations on the battlefield. Twelve of the men have been identified as Continental soldiers from Maryland and Delaware; one is thought to be a Loyalist from North Carolina; and one served with the British 71^st Regiment of Foot, Fraser’s Highlanders. “We know the ages of all the soldiers,” added Doug Bostick of the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust. “Two of the soldiers are between 14 and 16 years old,” he said. Artifacts buried with these two individuals suggest they came from Maryland. The Loyalist from North Carolina may have had Native American ancestry, based upon the shape of his incisors, Bostick continued, while the identity of the British soldier has been narrowed down to three possibilities. DNA studies comparing samples from the soldiers with samples from living people who think they might be related to them could help the find names for the soldiers, Bostick concluded. Plans are being made for the reburial of the remains. To read about more sites from the period, go to "Exploring the Great Warpath."