Battle of Hobkirk's Hill

In April, 1781, the American and British armies clashed once again in Camden.

From June, 1780 until May, 1781, Camden was a fortified British garrison under the command of Francis, Lord Rawdon.  Camden's strategic location allowed the British to control the primary transportation route from the interior of South Carolina to the low country. 

In April, 1781, the American army under the command of General Nathanael Greene marched to Camden and encamped on an area known as Hobkirk's Hill.  On April 25, Rawdon's forces attacked the Continental forces at the Battle of Hobkirk's Hill.  Although the British won the battle, Greene's retreating army remained a cohesive fighting force and the British returned to the fortified walls of Camden.  After the loss of Fort Watson, an important link in the British supply line from Charleston to the backcountry, Rawdon ordered the evacuation of Camden and retreated back toward the sea. 

Today, although the battle site is now a residential area, wayfinder signs allow visitors to follow in the foot steps of the soldiers who fought to determine the future of South Carolina.

Brochures detailing the events of the Battle of Hobkirk's Hill can be picked up at the Camden Archives and Museum.