RIDGELAND, S.C. (WSAV) – The search is on for pieces of American — and Lowcountry — history.
One group's surprising set of skills may uncover some Civil War heroes and offer them a chance to be honored.
"The likelihood that there are bodies here on the battlefield that were never claimed and recovered is relatively high," said Rich Thomas, president of Friends of Honey Hill. "What we want to do is try to locate any areas where those remains may still lie so that at some future point in time, we can honor those sacrifices to the unknown dead."
Thomas said the Honey Hill Battlefield, located just off of Highway 336 in Ridgeland, was the site of the only Confederate victory versus Sherman's army in his March to the sea and up through the Carolinas.
"And it was the third largest or the third of the last significant victories for the Confederacy in the Civil War," he added.
Friends of Honey Hill, with the help of cadaver dogs, are working to locate as many as 29 soldiers who may be buried at the site.
Tracy "Trace" Sargent has three cadaver dogs trained to sniff out bodies — alive or dead — even 160 years later.
"So when someone dies in this natural environment, they're cadaver fluids and every part of them is absorbed into the environment," the K-9 handler explained. "That can remain for many, many years in the soil, in the plant life, in the root systems. So for the dogs, as long as scent is there, they will pick it up."
When one of the dogs goes on alert, sitting in an area where they believe remains may be, the Friends of Honey Hill will mark the spot either for further investigation or as a symbol of sacrifice.
"It's a little-known story in these parts," Thomas said. "Lots of people living in this area were, are descendants of people who actually fought at Honey Hill. So it's a relevant story, especially for South Carolinians and people in Jasper County.
"But it's also one of those things I think, that helps us understand the whole period of time better."
The dogs have identified about 40 possible sites for human remains.
The group says the next step in the works is to develop a master plan for the entire battlefield.
Read more on the history of the Battle of Honey Hill on the town's website linked here.