Mark Miklos, designer of GMT’s 10-volume Battles of the American Revolution series, recently attended the Camden Burials honoring fallen soldiers from the 1780 Battle of Camden, South Carolina and shares his experience in the following article. Enjoy! -Rachel
It has been suggested by author David Smith in his book, Camden, 1780 (Osprey Campaign Series, #292) that fully one third of all the battlefield casualties suffered by American arms during the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution occurred at the Battle of Camden. It is no surprise, therefore, that relic hunters in the 1990s stumbled upon the shallow grave of a soldier while digging for musket balls, buttons and other artifacts of war.
That chance encounter was later verified by Mr. James Legg, Archeologist with the University of South Carolina’s Institute of Archeology & Anthropology in 2001. Tasked with surveying the battlefield, which then as now is primarily undeveloped long-leaf pine forest, Legg thought to interview relic hunters who had been scouring the area for decades. As a consequence of those interviews and his own exhaustive, 20-year effort to find artifacts, another thirteen bodies were discovered and the Camden Burials project was eventually born. Forensic anthropologists working for the Kershaw County, South Carolina Coroner’s Office were enlisted in 2020 and tasked with the exhumations and the study of the remains.
More recently the American Battlefield Trust, working in cooperation with the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust and the Historic Camden Foundation, has been granted an easement by the timber company that currently owns the land, to interpret the site. In addition, the battlefield has been added to the Liberty Trail, a comprehensive network of historic sites and parks spread across the state to highlight the pivotal role South Carolina played during the struggle for American Independence.
When it was announced that a reburial with full military honors would be held for these soldiers, and given that Camden is only a three and a half hour drive from my home in the Atlanta area, I made it a priority to attend. The ceremonies were held April 20-22, 2023. The impact they made on me will last a lifetime.
Thursday, April 20
The weekend was launched on Thursday evening with a four-person panel discussion entitled, “Rout & Slaughter Ensued.” The panelists were project lead Dr. Steve Smith who gave an overview of the campaign and battle. Mr. Legg described the archeology that has uncovered over 2,000 artifacts, and which corroborates the firsthand accounts of the battle. Forensic anthropologists Drs. Bill Stevens and Mattie Atwell described the process of exhumation and analysis. Every event during The Camden Burials was free to the public. Due to limited seating at the Revolutionary War Visitor’s Center, however, this event required advanced ticketing and the meeting room was full to capacity.
The details of the Battle of Camden are readily available to readers of this essay so I will instead focus on the forensics. Twelve soldiers were Maryland Continentals, one was a British soldier of the 71st Regiment of Foot, “Fraser’s Highlanders,” and one, a Loyalist, was Native American as determined by forensic odontology. The circumstantial evidence suggests he was a member of the Catawba Nation. The Catawba have claimed his remains and thus only thirteen soldiers were honored as part of these ceremonies.
The Highlander was approximately 40 years old, likely a non-commissioned officer of imposing stature. He died of blunt force trauma to the back of the head, very near the spot where American Major General, Baron de Kalb fell in the final moments of the battle. Both Battalions of the 71st were at Camden and collectively they only suffered seven causalities. Fate dictated that this soldier was one of them. He was given a proper burial by his comrades in arms, which is no surprise considering the British were masters of the field when the smoke had cleared. He was lying supine and extended with hands folded. Although relatively shallow, his was the deepest grave discovered.
In another grave five Continentals were comingled, complicating the individual identifications. They ranged in age from approximately sixteen to forty five. It is speculated that this squad of soldiers were fighting a rearguard action with the 2nd Maryland when they were overrun. One had a musket ball embedded in his right humerus, another in his right shoulder and a third had a musket ball lying in the vicinity of his abdomen. The other two showed no evidence of skeletal trauma and may have died of sharp force trauma such as a bayonet wound. All soft tissue has, of course, been decomposed for over two centuries.
As the presentation continued we learned about two more single graves, one of which appeared to be a reburial, likely by a relic hunter. There was a grave with two and a grave with three Continentals respectively. Two of the latter Continentals were as young as fifteen. For all these individuals, we learned about their stature, causes of death where it could be determined, and the manner of their burials. The speakers did a terrific job personalizing these men in the context of the battle.
DNA samples have been retained for further study and strontium isotope baseline mapping is planned to narrow down such things as their native diets and other determinants in the hope of learning precisely where each man came from; not just his nation, but perhaps even region or community. Facial reconstruction, however, will not be possible due to the states of decomposition of the remains.
Pre-event publicity stated that the men would be reburied on the battlefield where they fell. According to Mr. Doug Bostick, CEO of the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust, the United States Army has claimed jurisdiction over the remains and appears to be opposed to that idea. Bostick said that a compromise is being discussed whereby a small cemetery may be established on the battlefield. Perhaps markers will be placed where the remains were originally found?
The two-hour talk was riveting, so much so that my wife Darlene was completely engaged despite not being a military historian.
Friday, April 21
Six acres of downtown Camden, known as Historic Camden, served as the nucleus for the weekend’s activities. There was a living history encampment pitched alongside a reconstructed earthen redoubt. As with similar encampments, one could wander about, soak up the period atmosphere, and engage with the reenactors while they drilled, stood guard duty, or simply relaxed in their bivouac.
A few photos of the Living History Encampment at Camden, taken on Friday
A stately home, used by Cornwallis as his HQ, is known today as the Kershaw-Cornwallis House and serves as the centerpiece of the property. Inside, thirteen flag-draped coffins, twelve American and one British, lay in repose. Reenactors posted a two-man guard at the door. The public was invited to pay their respects, and we did so. Inside, at the coffins themselves, the guard was posted by active duty U.S. military personnel. Photography was not permitted. It’s hard to describe the atmosphere inside which was reverent yet charged with a kind of energy.
An outdoor evening concert of patriotic music was performed by the Fort Jackson Army Band. Preceding the band’s program, the U.S. Army’s “Old Guard,” in direct lineage from General George Washington’s personal, fifty-four man body guard, demonstrated 18th century maneuvers. Perhaps a thousand people gathered in lawn chairs on a cool and comfortable evening to watch the program.
The US Army “Old Guard” performing maneuvers before the evening concert
With all that to look forward to, we decided it would be best to spend the morning on the actual battlefield so that, once we returned to town, we could remain at the site for the rest of the day.
The battlefield is sixteen miles from town and a pleasant drive. Upon arriving we witnessed last minute preparations being made for the next day’s ceremony that would mark the highlight of the weekend. Boy Scouts, JROTC cadets, and volunteers of all ages were policing the area, setting up chairs, putting out signage, and completing other tasks in the warm morning sunshin e. There were some visitors like us but for the most part we had the place to ourselves once we set out on the trail.
Then, as now, the battlefield is open pine forest. The pic with the modern road on the left, a split rail fence in the center, and a dirt track on the right indicates the original “Great Wagon Road” along which the two armies marched, unknowingly, toward each other during the night before the battle. The Great Wagon Road ran from Philadelphia to August, GA and the modern road runs directly on top of it in many places.
The battlefield is still underdeveloped with minimal way-marking. At one point we strayed and had to use dead reckoning to reacquire the trail network. Interpretive signage is adequate and delineates the battle well, although some of it is quite weathered. I must say that the raw nature of the place made imagining the action more vivid and it was easy, without crowds, to appreciate the historical time and place; to hear the report of musketry, shouted commands, and the skirl of bagpipes over the din of battle.
As we made our way back to our car, Darlene noticed a cluster of people ahead and identified them as the speakers we had listened to during the presentation the night before. Since they appeared to be engaged in casual conversations with other visitors, we approached and waited for an opportunity to speak with them. Eventually I got the attention of Dr. Atwell and asked where the grave of the Highlander was located. It had been mentioned the previous evening that he fell near Baron de Kalb whose monument was nearby. Without hesitation she proceeded to walk us over to the spot about 100 feet away.
We talked with her for what must have been fifteen minutes, which is longer than it sounds. She was so gracious and accessible and seemed to feed off our interest in her work. We even learned about the different soil acidities across the battlefield and how each affected the degree of decomposition within the respectively located graves. Her respect for the process was that of a consummate professional. Her respect for the soldiers themselves, was palpable.
She eventually asked where our deep interest stemmed from and so I mentioned my twenty-five year journey as the designer of GMT’s Battles of the American Revolution series. It resonated and she said that Jim (Legg) would be interested in speaking with me. She then walked us over to where he was standing. She made the introduction and I gave Jim the elevator speech; a two-minute description of war gaming and BoAR. Wouldn’t you know it, he played SPI games “back in the day” and was very interested to hear about the BoAR series; so much so that he gave me his card with an offer to help me with future research if I decided to design the Battle of Camden. He then introduced me to the man standing beside him.
Lawrence Babits is the author of “A Devil of a Whippin,” arguably the definitive study of the Battle of Cowpens. As it happens, Cowpens is the subject of the flagship game in our upcoming “Small Boar” series featuring smaller, but no less significant battles of the American Revolution. Work on Cowpens is well under way by designer Bruno Sinigaglio and developer Dave Stiffler and I explained to Mr. Babits how much his research served as the underpinning for our work.
He revealed that he is currently working on a book about the Battle of Hobkirk’s Hill, also fought near Camden in 1781, and that his future plans include a book about the Battle of Eutaw Springs, (See BoAR Volume III.) Feeling a little like a groupie, I couldn’t resist asking Mr. Babits if he would pose for a picture.
Visiting the battlefield as part of the weekend would have been a highlight in its own right. To have had these opportunities to speak at length with individuals so intimately involved with the Camden Burials project, however, was as fulfilling as it was unexpected and will remain a cherished memory for years to come.
Lunch of authentic Carolina rice bread served with bacon and cheese
We finished up at the battlefield and made our way back to town to settle in and enjoy the rest of the day’s activities mentioned above. At one point we pitched our lawn chairs under a spreading shade tree, relaxed, and just people watched; reenactors in uniform coming and going, people queuing up to pay their respects to the fallen, and staff setting up for the evening concert. This “down-time” was punctuated by the occasional conversation with other visitors or staff and a lunch of authentic Carolina rice bread, baked in a wood-fired, outdoor brick oven and served with bacon and cheese.
Saturday, April 22
Rain was in the forecast for Saturday and we awoke with some trepidation. Gray clouds were building and you could smell rain in the thick, humid Carolina air. We left the hotel after a hasty breakfast and drove the short distance to an area of designated, off-street parking. With lawn chairs, rain jackets, and umbrella in hand we staked out a terrific spot curbside to view the funeral cortege scheduled for that morning. We were among the first people to arrive, and then it rained! There we sat, both of us in rain jackets huddled under one umbrella in a cloudburst. It must have appeared comical to motorists passing by but we smiled through it as just part of the adventure.
As luck would have it, that 30-minute shower was the extent of the rain for the rest of the day. The sun broke through just as the cortege marched past, led by the Fort Jackson band playing a dirge. Next came horse-drawn caissons baring flag-draped coffins and escorted by military honor guard. The Continentals were first with the Highlander trailing. His guard consisted of kilt-clad, Bonnet wearing members of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, in direct lineage from Fraser’s Highlanders. Next came several Humvees that would eventually convey the coffins to the battlefield. Next, several companies of reenactors including one contingent carrying flags of the original thirteen states. After them, a retinue of dignitaries marched past and finally, those civilians wishing to make the march of approximately one and a half miles from the Kershaw-Cornwallis House to the Bethesda Presbyterian Church. There, an outdoor funeral service would take place using authentic 18th century Anglican and Presbyterian liturgies.
Scenes from the funeral cortege on Saturday morning.
We decided not to attend the funeral service at the church and instead, went to the shuttle staging area early enough to ride the first shuttle to the battlefield. This ensured us a spot on the rope line, just behind dignitary seating and directly opposite the stage. As much as it would have meant to attend the funeral service, being early to the ceremony site payed dividends later in terms of unobstructed views of the proceedings.
A couple of shots preceeding the ceremony: (L) speakers gathering on stage with some dignitaries seated in foreground and (R) a gathering crowd
Passing the time in delightful conversation among like-minded folk is how I would describe the three and a half hours we spent between our arrival at the site at 11:30 AM and the commencement of ceremonies. Slowly and inexorably the crowd began to gather. There was toing and froing to observe. For example, the head of security for the Governor of South Carolina arrived early to walk the ground and check the stage. The Scots honor guard arrived to rehearse how they would deploy the coffin on its bier. Someone from the army re-set the flags on the stage in order of correct precedence. Those flags, representing the troops engaged at the battle, consisted of the American, French, German, and British national flags as well as the state flags of South Carolina, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina.
Reenactors portraying American and British troops marched in with drums beating and assumed a formation on the right flank of the ceremony field. Officers from the French and German armies arrived, as did Colonel Alcuin Johnson, Assistant Military Attaché of Great Britain. The firing party arrived. Soon after, the Fort Jackson band marched in. All units took their assigned positions around the field. Dignitaries, including British Counsel General Rachel Galloway, and Governor Henry McMaster of South Carolina, took the stage. A bagpiper took his place. When I looked around the crowd had grown to perhaps 3,000 or more.
The Humvees had arrived earlier and an exchange of the coffins was made to the horse drawn caissons used earlier that morning. This was done out of site of the crowd. At the appointed time of 3:00 PM the caissons arrived after a short haul of perhaps 200 yards. As each caisson pulled up opposite the ceremony area, military pall bearers took charge. To the accompaniment of the band playing Amazing Grace and other solemn tunes, the pall bearers hand carried the flag draped coffins about 50 yards from the road to a row of wooden biers set in front of the stage, after which they stood at attention as a guard of honor. Other than their muffled foot falls on the pine straw, or the occasional sob from someone in the crowd, you could have heard a pin drop. As I rendered a salute I became aware of tears rolling down my own cheeks.
The Continentals were all placed first and then the Highlander was carried forward. It was interesting to note that the American pall bearers carried the coffins hip-high with heads covered while the Scots pall bearers carried their coffin on their shoulders with Bonnets removed. Once all coffins had been placed, the following occurred in rapid succession; a 21-gun salute, the playing of taps by a solitary bugle, and a fly-over by three Apache helicopters at tree-top level. Their roar was deafening and the down draft shook the ground.
When the sound of the Apaches had receded, the dignitaries on stage took turns making brief and appropriate remarks, beginning with a reading from the Common Book of Prayer published in 1662 and with which the soldiers laying in repose would have been familiar in their lifetime. Speakers generally extoled the virtues and sacrifices of soldiers in general and of these soldiers in particular. They also marked the historical significance of the occasion and spoke about the strong alliance today between the former enemies that met on this battlefield.
At the conclusion of remarks, the flag-folding ceremony took place, again accompanied by the band. Each American flag was presented to a dignitary or a general. As the Scots honor guard folded the Union Jack and presented it to the British Military Attaché, the skirling of bagpipes echoed through the pine forest and was at once haunting and beautiful.
Flag folding ceremony
Final remarks were made by Rick Wise, historian for the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust who said, “I’ll try to be brief but please bear with me, they’ve waited over 242 years for this moment.” He went on to personalize the deceased, reminding the audience that they are not merely statistics on a casualty role but that they were human beings willing to sacrifice everything for causes they believed in. He then spoke about their roles in the battle and the likely circumstances surrounding the death of each. In closing he said, “To these soldiers we say, fate has dictated that you will not be forgotten in an unmarked shallow grave, but you now, in marked graves recognizable to all for the role you played, represent the remembrance of all whom fate has placed in this hallowed ground. God bless their souls, and may you rest in peace. Huzzah!” It was a fitting end to the ceremony and the weekend.
We traveled home to Atlanta, often quiet and absorbed in our own reminiscences or occasionally chatting about the weekend’s highlights. We remarked how everyone we met was in the spirit of the thing. Event staff were courteous and eager to help. Other attendees we spoke with were as fully engaged as we were.
I have had the good fortune to attend both the 125th and 150th anniversary reenactments of the Battle of Gettysburg in 1988 and 2013 respectively. I also attended the funeral for the crew of the Confederate submarine, H.L. Hunley, in Charleston, S. C. on March 25, 2000. Any one of those events could be considered an opportunity of a lifetime. I rate the Camden Burials even more highly because of the intimate nature of the experience. It has left me humble, and rededicated to bringing the saga of the American Revolution to others through the medium of gaming.
Lest we forget!
Author: Mark Miklos
Thanks for your travelogue. Having all of these heroes properly buried is the least we can do for them.
Jim, US Army (retired)
Mic, when I knew you as a young college student I would have never believed that I would hear such eloquent words coming forth from you but then I had those same thoughts about your buddy Don. Both you and Don have made me a very proud dad because Dorothy and I still feel like you are our adopted son even tough we never get to see you. We do though listen intently when Don describes his frequent visits with you.
What an honor to have this sacred event available to me. I have been a GMT customer for years and have many of your simulation on the American Revolution. Thank you your great game designs and dedication. Hopefully, something can be worked out with the timber company to purchase this ground. I have been a member of the American Battlefield Trust for many years and I would think they would jump at the chance to save it. Thanks again.
Great account of a fascinating and solemn event. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.