FHD ForensicsAfter extracting and sequencing his DNA, researchers were able to identify an unknown teenager killed at the Battle of Camden as John Pumphrey of Maryland.In 2022, archaeologists found the remains of a teenage soldier whod been buried alongside 14 of his compatriots after dying at the Battle of Camden, a bloody Revolutionary War engagement fought in South Carolina on August 16, 1780.Buried in an unmarked grave, the teenager had been known to researchers as Camden 9B until now. After extracting and sequencing the boys DNA, scientists figured out that these centuries-old remains belonged to Private John Pumphrey of Maryland.The Identification Of John Pumphrey 246 Years After He Was Killed In The Battle Of CamdenEven though almost 250 years had passed since Pumphreys death, researchers were able to extract DNA from his petrous bone, which sits at the base of the skull, behind the ear.Then, scientists at FHD Forensics needed to compare his DNA sample to the genomes of other potential relatives in order to create a family tree that could lead the team to their answer.It was an extremely intricate puzzle, Valerie Kemp, senior investigative genealogist at FHD Forensics, said to Maryland Matters.Wikimedia CommonsJohn Pumphrey died in the Battle of Camden on August 16, 1780.The DNA all pointed to John Pumphrey, who enlisted in the Seventh Maryland Regiment of the Continental Army in 1777. At the time, Pumphrey was only about 14 years old.Pumphrey served in several historic battles, including Brandywine, Germantown, and Monmouth, while also camping with George Washington during the brutal winter of 1778 at Valley Forge. According to historical records, he then re-enlisted in 1779 and received a $100 bonus.But in the wake of the Battle of Camden on August 16, 1780, he was listed as missing. Researchers determined that he was killed by a soft-tissue injury, possibly from a bayonet, but remain unsure of how exactly Pumphrey died.Researchers have, however, been able to use historical records to piece together much of the story of John Pumphreys early life. Pumphrey was a direct descendant of Walter Pumphrey, a Quaker who immigrated to New Jersey from England in 1678. The family moved to the Baltimore area in 1713, originally to open up a carpentry shop.The Pumphrey family became prominent in the Baltimore area, with extensive real estate holdings and business interests. His grandfather, Ebenezer Pumphrey, was a notable player in the states lumber and building industries.FHD ForensicsJohn Pumphrey re-enlisted in the Continental Army in 1779 and received a $100 bonus.The fact that John Pumphrey came from a family of high status left researchers baffled at first.We thought, what is a boy from these families doing going to war at 14? It just didnt make any sense, FHD President Allison Peacock told Maryland Matters.After more digging, the team discovered that Pumphreys father died in 1771, when the boy was only about 10 years old. In a strange occurrence, the land owned by Pumphreys father somehow got passed to his cousin instead of his several sons.Likely with no other prospects of land ownership, Pumphrey turned to another future for himself in the Continental Army. But three years later, he became one of the nearly 1,000 American casualties at the Battle of Camden, one of Britains biggest victories of the entire war.How Both Forensic Researchers And Pumphreys Descendants Have Responded To This Astounding NewsThe identification of John Pumphrey means a great deal for both forensic scientists and those with familial ties to people who were lost to history hundreds of years ago.The research team at FHD believes that the groundbreaking identification of John Pumphrey was the first of its kind, an important step forward into uncharted territory.Nobodys ever identified a 246-year-old John Doe before, Peacock told Maryland Matters. Indeed, the researchers are calling this a successful resolution to the oldest-known John Doe case in American history.FHD Forensics John Pumphrey received a reburial in 2023 with full military honors.Having been lying in an unmarked grave for nearly 250 years, Pumphrey finally received a reburial with military honors in 2023. Researchers also found approximately 20,000 DNA matches for Pumphreys living relatives. In June 2026, some of these relatives came together in a ceremony in Baltimore to celebrate his life.One of Pumphreys relatives that came to the event was Julie Pumphrey Strickland, who resides not far from the site of the Battle of Camden. She said this investigation was especially meaningful to her.I was born a Pumphrey. I was put up for adoption when I was 6 weeks old and later found both sides of my family. I started out without a name. He wound up without a name. And now we both know our name, she told WLTX.The researchers are now hoping to identify more of the soldiers whod been buried in unmarked graves. However, the process is complex and expensive, with each identification adding up to tens of thousands of dollars.This identification was funded by the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology and the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust, among other sponsors. For future investigations, the researchers are looking for additional funding.But though it may take a significant amount of time and money to make additional identifications, researchers are heartened by the fact that we now know definitively that fallen soldiers who died as far back as 250 years ago can still have their names and legacies restored.After reading about how researchers identified a teenage soldier who died 250 years ago, discover 12 Revolutionary War women most people havent heard of. Then, learn about Lepa Radi, the teenage freedom fighter who was executed by the Nazis at just 17.The post A Teenage Orphan Who Died In Battle During The Revolutionary War Once Had No Name But Forensic Scientists Just Identified Him appeared first on All That's Interesting.