Wedding & Event Venue Near Camden, SC.

Two of them are believed to have been between 14-16 years old and from Maryland.

Credit: South Carolina Battleground Trust Association

CAMDEN, S.C. — The remains of 14 Revolutionary War Soldiers during the Battle of Camden were recently uncovered in shallow graves.

Now, the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust says they are uncovering more on identifications and are preparing for proper burials.

According to the Trust, the remains, some less than six inches below the surface in seven separate locations across the battlefield, were located during site research, carefully excavated, and removed over an eight-week period beginning in September.

Through preliminary field examination, the archeology team believes:

Since then, they've begun to uncover ages, identities, and origins.

"We know the ages of all the soldiers," said South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust CEO Doug Bostick. "They are young, sadly. Two of the soldiers are between 14 and 16 years old."

The two that were aged 14-16 years old, he says, are believed to have been from Maryland, based on artifacts retrieved.

"The loyalist from North Carolina has Native American ancestry that's determined by the incisors that he had in his teeth," Bostick said. "So, this particular group of Loyalists from North Carolina came out of the area where the Lumbee Tribe was pretty prevalent, so it might be he was a Lumbee Indian."

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As for names, Bostick says they are closing in on one of three for the British 71st Regiment of Foot, Fraser's Highlanders. As for the others, it will take some time as they are taking DNA tests from those who have called saying they believe they are related.

"We're just starting the DNA process," Bostick said. "The identification of these remains will extend into the Fall, so this will go past the April re-interment. When these soldiers are re-interned in April, we'll mark them with a simple headstone that says "Unknown Continental Soldier," but later, when we identify some of them, we will come back and put a headstone with their name on them."

As they continue the search for information, plans for a proper ceremony have been come together.

"We've invited every embassy or consulate of everyone who fought in this battle," Bostick said. "So, we have the French involved, there were French officers serving with the Patriot Army. Certainly, we had the British there, of course, but we also had Germans there."

The ceremonies will kick off on Thursday, April 20, with a precession through Fort Jackson. They will pass by all the public schools from Columbia to Camden.

The next day, April 21, there will be a concert from U.S. Army's old band.

Then, on Saturday, April 22, there will be two ceremonies to honor the soldiers.

For over a week now traffic has been condensed headed into Camden due to roadwork, but lanes are expected to reopen soon.

CAMDEN, S.C. — For over a week now, roadwork on Highway 601 has brought traffic to a halt heading into Camden.

A concerned viewer reached out to us to find out what was going on after the project condensed two lanes down to one--and that lane is a median.

That viewer was unavailable to speak but other residents say they've noticed the pothole and can't wait for the construction to be over.

"I have noticed it," says resident Julie Knight. "It's been there for a good minute and they've actually been working on it."

"It has been terrible trying to get out of the parking lot, especially in the afternoon around lunchtime," she adds. "it might take you 30 minutes before you can get out of the parking lot, traffic up and down the road trying to condense down to one lane, it's a hot mess, people are racing to try to get over, they don't want people to get over so it's one hot mess out there."

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News19 asked the City of Camden's public works office about what was going on.

"A pothole did develop we were called on, and so we went down and we checked it out and found out the sewer was collapsing, and developing a pothole," says City of Camden Utility Director Tom Couch.

He says they are working as quickly as possible to get the road reopened…

"We started working on it that was about a week ago, and we had to dig down and we found the sewer pipe had deteriorated, we had to tie into the line when we could but there was no good pipe to tie into," Couch adds. "It was a 12 inch line so we had to keep digging and digging until we can find the good pipe, and then [Thursday] or Friday we hope to have the asphalt on it opens up all the lanes by the end of the week but that's all weather dependent,"

All lanes are expected to be reopened at the end of this week, weather permitting.

After leading her team to a state title last week, Camden High School’s Joyce Edwards picked up another big achievement Wednesday.

The junior was named South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year, an award that encompasses athletics, academics and character.

Edwards is the second Camden player to win the award, joining head coach Natalie Norris (formerly Natalie Funderburk) who won it in 1992. It’s the second-straight year a Midlands girls player has won the award. Cardinal Newman’s Ashlyn Watkins, who is now at South Carolina, was the recipient in 2022.

Edwards is the 15th different girls player from the Midlands to win the award historically. Lower Richland’s Morgan Stroman won it three straight years from 2007-09.

“I say all the time Joyce is the best player in the country,” Camden coach Natalie Norris said after the state championship game. “She showed it today. She handled the ball, she can shoot it, she rebounds, she can pass it. She can do it all and has the size too. We are certainly very fortunate she is on our team.”

Edwards averaged 28.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, 3.5 steals, 2.9 assists and 2.6 blocks this season in helping the Bulldogs to their first state championship since 1981. In the title game against Wren, the 6-foot-3 forward scored 33 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and had five steals in the win.

Edwards also went over the 3,000-point mark in career during the game. She has been a starter on varsity since the seventh grade.

Off the court, Edwards has volunteered locally at the Beyond the Court basketball camp as a coach and at the Jackson Teen Center, where she tutors students in math and science. She’s also a member of the National Beta Club.

Edwards is the No. 2 ranked prospect in the country for Class of 2024 by ESPN’s HoopGurlz rankings. She has more than 30 Division I offers, including top-ranked South Carolina.

Edwards said she will be narrowing down her top colleges during the spring and summer.

South Carolina signee Tessa Johnson won the Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year award. Johnson averaged 24.3 points, 6.6 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 2.8 steals per games this season and became the school’s all-time leading scorer with more than 2,000 points in her career.

2023 – Joyce Edwards, Camden

2022 – Ashlyn Watkins, Cardinal Newman

2019 – Danae McNeal, Swansea

2017 – Jaelynn Murray, Dreher

2016 – Jhileiya Dunlap, Dreher

2014 – A’ja Wilson, Heathwood Hall

2013 – Alaina Coates, Dutch Fork

2012 – Asia Dozier, Spring Valley

2011 – Xylina McDaniel, Spring Valley

2009 – Morgan Stroman, Lower Richland

2008 – Morgan Stroman, Lower Richland

2007 – Morgan Stroman, Lower Richland

2004 – Keturah Jackson, Dreher

2000 – Nikki Jett, Columbia

1997 – Elena Vishniakova, Heathwood Hall

1992 – Natalie Funderburk, Camden

1989 – Jessica Barr, Batesburg-Leesville

CAMDEN, S.C. (WIS) - After 51 years under the scope of a Camden hospital, the Karesh Long Term Care center has secured its own space. The long-anticipated move came after two decades of discussion and two years of construction for the stand-alone facility off Liberty Hill Road.

The $40 million project was made possible through state funds secured through the Kershaw County Health District. This, according to its Board Chairman Derial Ogburn.

Now titled Karesh at Beechwood, approximately 88 senior residents were relocated from their longstanding facility within the MUSC Health Kershaw Medical Center on Wednesday.

Less than 24 hours in, residents told WIS the new facility was “unbelievable” and far better than its previous location.

90-year-old Thema Bodiford invited us to her new room where WIS Channel 10 was already playing.

“At first, I would say, thank the Lord that they got together, such a beautiful place as this. It’s like being in a hotel… I’ve had some visitors in my room, and they want to take the bathroom home with them,” said Bodiford who moved into the Keresh thirteen months ago.

Karesh at Beechwood is a 95,000 sq. ft. facility that holds 132 beds. The complex is split into three “neighborhoods” that are still being furnished.

“We did try very hard in the hospital to make it more of a home life. And it’s hard to get away from that institutional look. So today, the biggest difference - the care will remain the same, but we have more of the furnishings of an actual home,” said Loretta Wrigley, Director of Nursing.

Karesh Administrator Scott Neal said the expansion comes after a statewide demand for senior living care.

“We have a large waiting list now to get into Karesh. And we will be going through that list as we speak. So, there’s definitely a need here,” said Neal.

Karesh added at least 50 new nurses and certified assistants to the 100-plus staffers carried over from the previous facility.

This new home for 132 seniors includes free-standing departments for food service, laundry, and housekeeping.

“I just love it here. Everyone is so nice. At Karesh wing they were good, but the place is nothing like this one. Kershaw County’s got a lot to be proud of to have this facility in it,” concluded Bodiford.

Neal said they will start admitting those with immediate needs as soon as possible.

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The AC Flora girls basketball team got big halves from its all-state performers Trinity Delaney and Terianna Gray in its playoff opener on Thursday.

Delaney scored 15 of her 17 points in the second half and Gray added 15 in the Falcons’ 50-25 win over North Myrtle Beach in the first round of the Class 4A girls playoffs. AC Flora (18-9) will travel to Bluffton on Saturday in the second round. The game will be played at May River High School because the lower state individual wrestling championships will be held at Bluffton.

The Falcons used pressure defense and a big first half from Gray, who scored 11 of her 15 points in the first half to give them a 29-16 halftime lead.

Delaney, who was in foul trouble in the first half, took over in the second half. The 25 points allowed by AC Flora were the third lowest given up this season.

Flora was one of several Midlands teams to win big on Thursday. Other highlights included:

Top-ranked Camden girls won their 23rd straight game with a 67-19 win over Dillon in the 3A playoffs. The Bulldogs host Battery Creek on Saturday.

? No. 3 Westwood girls rolled to their ninth straight win with a 59-28 win over West Florence. The Redhawks host Hartsville on Saturday.

? Gray Collegiate and Keenan boys rolled in their 2A openers. Gray defeated Greenville Tech, 90-14, while Keenan beat Blacksburg, 76-49. Gray hosts Abbeville on Saturday, while Keenan goes to Saluda.

? Eau Claire and Columbia were the Midlands teams to pull off road upsets. Eau Claire defeatedRegion 3-2A champion Strom Thurmond, 55-36. The Shamrocks will travel to Greer Middle College on Saturday. Columbia defeated Silver Bluff, 53-45, and will travel to Landrum on Saturday. It was the Capitals’ first-round playoff win since 2009-10 season.

? River Bluff boys were the lone area Class 5A team to win Thursday (Lexington won on Thursday). The Gators defeated Berkeley, 63-56, and will host St. James on Saturday.

Class 5A

TL Hanna 84, Chapin 36

TLH: Adarius Armstrong 22, Jaquarious Patterson 15, Anthony Edwards 12, Culler 8.

Byrnes 68, Blythewood 61

Byrnes: Kobe Staggs 30. Bwood: Will Olden 19

Fort Mill 57, Spring Valley 55

SV: Justin Skelton 16, Kendall Williams 12, CJ Rich 10. FM: AJ Washington 18, Braylen McCain 16, Gabe Tooper 13

Conway 66, White Knoll 30

River Bluff 63, Berkeley 56

B: Dubose 18, Youngblood 8, Cleveland 14, Hazelton 6, McNeil 8. RB: Caldwell 9, Cromer 9, Dawson Powell 14, Luke Chapman 18, Ahrick Wright 11, Pitts 2

Sumter 71, Dutch Fork 37

Class 2A Boys

Landrum 95, Mid-Carolina 58

Columbia 53, Silver Bluff 45

Saluda 62, Batesburg-Leesville 42

S: Watson 8, T. Mathis 6, Zion Wright 20, A. Mathis 8, JT Lott 20. BL: Bolen 2, Whitt 6, Swygert 7, Clark 2, Micheal Leaphart 15, Te’Maj Gilliam 10

Keenan 76, Blacksburg 49

K: Sumpter 6, Amarri King 15, Elam 8, Chrisean Oree 16, Broderick Anderson 12, Caughman 2, McCullough 3, McNiel 2, Golston 5, Price 3, Simmons 2, Anthony King 2.

Eau Claire 55, Strom Thurmond 36

EC: Sean Quick-Streeter 29

Greer Middle College 58, Newberry 39

Gray Collegiate 90, Greenville Tech 14

GC: Braylhan Thomas 19, Avantae Parker 15, Trai White 10.

Marion 83, North Central 59

Class A Boys

CA Johnson 54, Dixie 48

Class 4A

Easley 55, Airport 25

Westwood 59, West Florence 28

W: Woods 4, Miracle Branch 15, Makiah Thompson 11, Pope 2, Davis 3, Entzminger 6, Johnson 2, Omeire 2, Daniels 7, Brown 7

Wilson 48, Irmo 37

AC Flora 50, North Myrtle Beach 25

NMB: Faith Farmer 15, Vereen 1, Livingston 2, Hatchell 3, ACF: Tamira Delaney 7, Trinity Delaney 17, Terianna Gray 15, McCray 3, Wright-Thompson 3, Curnell 5.

Ridge View 54, Lucy Beckham 47

Class 3A Girls

Camden 67, Dillon 19

C: Joyce Edwards 28, Braylin Mungo 13, Harris 8, Jefferson 6, Champion 5, Carter 3, Jackson 2. D: Treasure Davis 12, Lester 4, Campbell 3, Murphy 2.

Lower Richland 70, Hanahan 16

H: Johnson 5, Tyson 3, Brabham 3, Hughes 3, Weatherford 2. LR: Chi’Nya Isaac 19, Tyra Floyd 12, Sumpter 12, Foster 5, Curry 6, Hiller 8, Weston 8

Battery Creek 48, Swansea 41

Philip Simmons 57, Dreher 30

This story was originally published February 16, 2023, 10:33 PM.