Meet our first DNA-identified soldier
Private John Pumphrey,
7th Maryland
Boys who died submitted no pension requests.
They are harder for us to see.*
As announced before some of his close relatives in Baltimore, Maryland on June 18, 2026, FHD Forensics’ analysis of three kinds of DNA evidence have confirmed the identity of Private John Pumphrey of Anne Arundel County, Maryland. He is the first of 14 Battle of Camden casualties reburied in 2023 to be identified.
Formerly known simply as Camden 9B for his discovery in Burial 9 with 4 other Continentals, John enlisted on January 5, 1777, after traveling from his rural Anne Arundel County home to Baltimore City to build a new life for himself as a soldier. That new life, after several years as an orphan, was cut short when he fell 3 1/2 years later in a South Carolina pine forest on August 16, 1780 in one of the bloodiest battles of the entire Revolutionary War. He was just a teenager.
• Read Private John Pumphrey’s biography on FHD Founder, Allison Peacock’s personal blog.
• Read about our collaborators on this 246 year old DNA identification
• Read the press release about his identification and the Baltimore event with his relatives
In the News
• Listen/Read on NPR: All Things Considered
• Read/Watch the WMAR-ABC story
• Read/Watch the WBAL-NBC story
• Read on USA Today
*Caroline Cox, Boy Soldiers of the American Revolution
Image: South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust
DONATE TO THIS PROJECT OF A LIFETIME
While long term grants are being sought, our sister organization, Genealogy For Justice adopted this project for crowdfunding purposes. Thanks to the genetic relatives of Camden 9B and Camden 11A, we are still working hard to get these heroes the recognition that they deserve. These are truly America’s first John Does. Your tax deductible donation will help us continue our work!
IN MEMORIAM
Julie Garafola
August 15, 1965 – May 27, 2026
The identification of John Pumphrey and the crowdfunding campaign to continue our work was made possible in part by a generous donation from Julie Garafola who was taken from us too soon. Julie was passionate about reuniting the unidentified with their families.
Project Background
Ancient DNA Unlocks the Stories of Our Heroes
The identification of Private John Pumphrey happened because of the dedication and passion of FHD Forensics’ diverse team of genealogical experts, through thick and thin. Supported by a world-class slate of collaborators, volunteer researchers, military historians, relatives, and archivists, the following team members made a key contribution to the identification of this young hero.
- Allison Peacock, President, Genealogist and Biographer
- Cyndi Despault, Operations Manager/Stakeholder Engagement & Documentation
- Valerie Kemp, Senior Investigative Genealogist
- Rebecca Hamilton, JD, Legal Genealogist
- Rebekah Canada, Haplogroup Genealogist
- Taylor Scott, AIGG, Investigative Genealogist
In 2022, after more than 20 years of planning, the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology (SCIAA) with the valuable assistance of the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust respectfully excavated the remains of 14 Battle of Camden casualties whose shallow battlefield burials were being exposed to the elements. Biological anthropologists from the Richland County Coroner’s Office aided with the recovery of the soldiers’ remains, oversaw the final steps in removal from the ground, and performed forensic anthropological examinations.
FHD Forensics was asked to uncover the stories of these patriots in what are believed to be the oldest unknown subject (John Doe) identifications in the United States. Sponsored by the USC-SCIAA Archaeological Research Trust, paleogenetics experts at Astrea Forensics sequenced the ancient DNA of two of the first two subjects for our genetic genealogy investigation.
FHD uploaded some of the oldest autosomal DNA profiles in the world in December of 2024. A genetic genealogy grant from the Historic Camden Foundation helped fund our research in 2025. Crowdfunding by Genealogy For Justice and the genetic relatives of of the first two subjects brought home the final identification of Camden 9B.
Research commences on Camden 11A in July 2026.
Meet the Team
Meticulous attention to detail and a love of history
Operations Manager Cyndi Despault assisting with research on Camden 9B. (Paul W. Gillespie / Capital Gazette)
Auditing intake forms for 800 project participants and tracking DNA tests for dozens is not for the faint of heart. Luckily Team FHD has a Cyndi. On top of her background in genomics laboratories, Cyndi Despault discovered one of her ancestors fought at the Battle of Camden. She’s also distantly related to Camden 9B! These deep personal connections to the Revolutionary War enhance her passion to help uncover the names of these heroes.
“It has been a heartwarming experience managing the community engagement side while working on the Camden Fourteen project. I’ve processed hundreds of participation forms, communicating with many participants,” she explains.
“I guess you could say documentation is my wheelhouse. I have been known to take DNA tests on vacation with me just in case! Documenting privacy and data preferences and upholding industry ethics is of utmost importance to our team and I love being the one to oversee this.”
Meet the Team
Chasing the dream of a 240 year old identification
Senior Genealogist Valerie Kemp visits the South Carolina graves of John Pumphrey and his fellow fallen soldiers.
One of the team members making history with the identification of Private John Pumphrey is senior genealogist, Valerie Kemp.
“When we started this journey, we had no idea if it would even be possible to use Investigative Genetic Genealogy to identify the remains of someone whose living genetic relatives would be so many generations distant,” said Valerie.
“It has been such an honor to be able to work on this case, and give this young soldier his name back. Especially during the year that we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary War. Even though John Pumphrey’s immediate family are gone, we discovered that he has hundreds of many times great nieces, nephews, and cousins who honor and care about him today.
“As an Investigative Genetic Genealogist, this was one of the most challenging, exciting, and fun projects I have ever been fortunate to work on and I look forward to identifying the next soldier and returning names to those who’ve lost them.”
Meet the Team
Interpreting Colonial Maryland legal records
Rebecca Hamilton interpreted hundreds of Colonial Maryland legal documents for the project.
An attorney, legal advocate and relentless researcher, Rebecca Hamilton leveraged her 25 years of experience as a litigator to interpret colonial Maryland legal documents for the project to identify Private John Pumphrey. As an avid genealogist in addition to her legal career, Rebecca played a key role in uncovering the young man’s story.
She often first had to transcribe old documents to legibility, then interpret the vernacular and legal language used at the time the document was drafted in order to extract the information we needed. All to put into context the relationships and obligations of the families we were researching.
Project Background
More Information
South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology (SCIAA)
The Camden Burial Project, Part I: Background and Preliminary Results, Legacy, Spring 2023 (PDF)
The Camden Burial Project, Part II: Triumph and Defeat, Legacy, Fall 2023 (PDF)
South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust
Project leaders Smith and Legg share insiders perspective on Camden Burials, February 23, 2023
The Biological Anthropologists of Richland County Coroner’s Office, March 9, 2023
Highlights video of Camden Burials military funeral
Miscellaneous
