‘America’s First Veterans’: Discovery Of Remains Of 14 Revolutionary War Soldiers Announced On Veterans Day

A historic preservation group has announced the discovery of the remains of 14 Revolutionary War soldiers in South Carolina on Veterans Day.

The South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust (SCBPT) revealed Friday the discovery of the remains of 14 Revolutionary War soldiers who had fallen during the Battle of Camden and had never been buried.

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

The remains, which had been unearthed beginning in September, were found through the joint efforts of SCBPT, the Historic Camden Foundation, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Richland County Coroner’s Office, and the South Carolina Institute for Archeology and Anthropology at the University of South Carolina.

The skeletal remains were found at various locations throughout the battlefield, with some being less than a foot under the ground.

“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,” said archeologist James 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.”

It is believed that 12 of the remains were Patriot Continental soldiers from Maryland and Delaware, while another body was that of a North Carolina loyalist, and the other a British soldier.

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