12 Patriot soldiers, all young boys, finally receive proper burial 243 years after the Revolutionary Battle of Camden.

Honoring the Fallen: 13 Revolutionary-Era Soldiers Laid to Rest in South Carolina

A Grand Gesture to Honor the Lives of Heroes

In the heart of a longleaf pine tree forest just north of Camden, South Carolina, Apache helicopters thundered over a large crowd gathered in front of 13 wooden coffins on April 22nd. It was a grand gesture to honor the lives of a handful of revolutionary-era soldiers whose remains were recently discovered.

242 years earlier, two armies met at the Battle of Camden in a fierce contest where the cries of teenage soldiers could be heard as the American colonies struggled to gain independence. The South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust decided to honor the soldiers with a proper funeral service and ceremony out on the battlefield.

Remembering the Heroes

The 13 soldiers uncovered in September 2022 included 12 patriots and one Scottish Highlander who fought for the British. Historians, preservationist groups, state authorities, and others then decided it would only be proper to give the soldiers a Christian funeral service and battlefield honors.

“These men and boys, but they were boys only in age, were and are soldiers,” said historian Rick Wise, referencing five of the recovered soldiers who were teenagers, including one as young as 15. “These 13 soldiers are not statistics,” Wise continued. “They lie before us not as an excerpt of history, but they are tangible and real. They represent the other 400 plus soldiers spread across this hallowed ground.”

A Ceremony of Respect and Honor

The funeral service was conducted very similar to a service from the time of the battle. As the bodies of the soldiers were moved from the carriages to in front of the church, the tunes to famous hymns like “Amazing Grace,” “The Old Rugged Cross,” and “Be Thou My Vision” played as the clergy read Bible passages about Jesus being the resurrection and the life.

During the funeral, the patriot soldiers were once again reunited with de Kalb, whose grave is located in front of the historic church. His grave marker describes the Prussian as, “covered in wounds while gallantly performing deeds of valor in rallying the friends and opposing the enemies of his adopted country.”

A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity

Dan Goforth, whose ancestor fought for the patriots at the battle of King’s Mountain, told The Daily Wire he was there with his son to observe the ceremonies, something he called a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

A Solemn and Emotional Scene

Even though the names of the fallen remain unknown, the scene at both ceremonies was solemn and emotional. “When these coffins were coming in for a minute there, I didn’t know whether to cry or pray,” McMaster said, summing up many people’s emotions as the coffins were laid to rest just feet from where many of the remains had been discovered.

Remembering the Virtually Insurmountable Challenges and Burdens

“The more I learn about our nation’s history, the more proud I am of South Carolina’s dramatic role in it. These ceremonies remind and instruct us of the virtually insurmountable challenges and burdens our people faced and overcame in securing their liberty and ours,” McMaster added.

A Proper Burial for Heroes

While most of the fallen at Camden never received a proper burial or recognition for the price they paid for America’s independence, 12 young soldiers finally received the honor they deserved as hundreds turned up to say thank you one week in Camden.