We are excited to share that a new podcast about the Revolutionary War, and Maryland’s soldiers, has been launched by Mission History. The series tells the story of the events that brought two armies, including nearly 2,000 soldiers from Maryland, to Camden, South Carolina in August 1781.

The battle fought at Camden was one of the worst American defeats of the war. The American Southern Army, mostly composed of Marylanders, was left shattered, with hundreds of men killed or captured, and the survivors scattered across the Carolina countryside.

In late 2022, the bodies of ten Maryland soldiers killed at the Battle of Camden, along with two who fought for the British, were exhumed from the shallow graves in which they had lain since 1781. This gave archeologists the chance to learn more about the battle and the men–and boys–who fought there, and ensured that the soldiers could be reburied in better protected graves. One surprising finding was how young the Marylanders were: several were only 15 or 16 years old. That is much younger than most of the soldiers who fought as the Maryland 400 at the Battle of Brooklyn, whose average age was around 24.

The first two episodes of the podcast are now available here. They cover the beginnings of the American Revolution, including the Battle of Brooklyn and the stand of the Maryland 400. We are looking forward to hearing the rest of the series, and hope that you’ll check it out! If you’re a fan of the Revolutionary War and enjoy learning about the Maryland Line, you won’t be disappointed!

The soldiers who were uncovered were honored in a ceremony in April 2023 led by the Historic Camden Foundation. They were formally buried in the Camden Quaker Cemetery in August 2023. You can learn more about the burials here.