A Mindful Collaboration with CBS News: Sharing the story of the Camden Fourteen
Founder’s Musings • August 28, 2025
Copyright, 2025, Allison Peacock
To commemorate a recent CBS News filming in Camden, South Carolina, our group snapped a photo on the steps of the historic Kershaw House after we wrapped. (Thank goodness for iPhone self timers!) Shown are back row from left, FHD genealogist, Valerie Kemp; Stacey Ferguson of Historic Camden Foundation who is dressed as Molly Pitcher; and yours truly, FHD Forensics founder, Allison Peacock. Middle row from left, CBS News Photographer/Videographer, Justin McCray; CBS News Correspondent, Bradley Blackburn; Historic Camden Foundation Executive Director, Southwick “Cary” Briggs II. Front row, from left, CBS Saturday Morning producer, Emily D’Alessandro; and CBS News Audio Technician, Makanga Njagi.
This July marked an exciting development for me and the team at FHD Forensics, as well as our clients at the Historic Camden Foundation when CBS News reached out about doing the first network story on the Camden Fourteen investigation. This project’s mission is to bring 18th Century conflict archaeology to life, ensuring that some of our nation’s first heroes will be “unknown no more.”
We have been so moved at the stories we’re uncovering in this research that whether we ultimately name each of our 14 subjects or not, we’re learning things and meeting families that deserve to be shared. Currently fueled by 23,000 matches for the two men we’re studying now, we’ve identified close common ancestors for both. And we have a pretty good idea which wives we need maiden names for in order to complete the genetic puzzle.
Archaeology leaders for the 2022 Camden battlefield preservation project were interviewed by CBS News for the story about the Camden Fourteen. From left, CBS News Audio Technician, Makanga Njagi; CBS News Photographer/Videographer, Justin McCray (behind camera); CBS News Correspondent, Bradley Blackburn; and archaeologists Dr. Steve Smith and James Legg of the SC Institute for Archaeology and Anthropology on the battlefield near where the bodies of fourteen Revolutionary War fallen combatants were discovered.
FHD senior genealogist Valerie Kemp and I braved the 100 degree heat and 90% South Carolina humidity to discuss our research with the CBS News film crew. I was really glad for us to have the opportunity to visit the fallen soldiers’ gravesites and spend a quiet moment of reflection among them, leaving roses for each one.
I’ve enjoyed working with many media allies as we do this work, and we’ve had some amazing ones. Yet, this experience stood out dramatically to me. There was a sense of camaraderie, deep respect for our subject matter, and true collaboration to tell a good story.
As I wound down my interview with correspondent Bradley Blackburn, other team members even chimed in with questions about our subject. In fact, audio technician Makanga Njagi asked what might have been the most thought provoking question of my entire genetic genealogy career: “How do you balance your natural curiosity and need to find answers with respect for the rights of your subjects or the communities you’re investigating?” I hope that my answer to that question – something I think about every day, on every case we tackle – makes the final cut.
Honestly, my only disappointment was my complete and utter lack of control over the way my hair looked in muggy South Carolina weather conditions. But vanity aside, it was a fantastic experience, complete with the firing of Historic Camden Foundation’s Rev War era cannon aided by CBS team members Njagi and Blackburn!
You can watch the CBS Saturday Morning video on YouTube!
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