A British soldier killed in the American War of Independence has been laid to rest in South Carolina, reports Alex Bowers.
The as yet unidentified Redcoat served with the 71st Regiment of Foot, Fraser’s Highlanders, and his nearly 250-year-old skeletal remains were recovered last year alongside 13 others sets – one other Loyalist and 12 Patriots – at the historic site of the Battle of Camden.
The August 16, 1780, engagement was a decisive British victory and became a low point for revolutionary forces. Horatio Gates, the American commander, never led a major force in the field again after the routing, in which half his 4,000-strong force of continental regulars and militia was killed, wounded or captured. Conversely, the British, some 2,100 strong, suffered just 79 dead and missing and some 250 wounded.
According to archaeologists, the British regular had been treated with great care, while the American deceased were found in shallow graves six inches deep.
A multi-day event recognised the dead of both sides, including a funeral procession during which large crowds gathered. Military dignitaries, honorary guests and other attendees paid tribute, and speaking at the April 22 ceremony, British Consul…
