The Early American: Camden

On the morning of April 25, 1781, General Nathanael Greene and his army were camped on Hobkirk’s Hill, about a mile and a half outside of Camden, South Carolina, where a British garrison commanded by Francis Lord Rawdon was posted. Rawdon’s force was outnumbered by almost two to one, but when an American deserter informed Rawdon that Greene’s force had no artillery, Rawdon made the bold decision to attack.

After the Battle of Guilford Courthouse on March 15, Cornwallis had withdrawn his army to Wilmington to refit and resupply. At first Greene pursued him, before deciding to turn toward South Carolina, assuming Cornwallis would follow him. But Cornwallis would not take the bait, having already decided to march to Virginia, where an appointment with destiny was awaiting him. Nevertheless, Greene decided to continue to South Carolina, hoping to recapture the state. To achieve that goal, Rawdon’s force at Camden was the first obstacle he would have to overcome.

Greene’s pickets discovered the British as they advanced, and Rawdon lost the element of surprise. He was also disappointed to find that Greene did indeed have artillery, it having been brought up between the time the deserter fled and the time Rawdon arrived.

With over 1500 men and three pieces of artillery, Greene deployed his army for battle, facing Rawdon’s force of about 900, with no artillery. As the British were stubbornly advancing up Hobkirk’s Hill, Greene ordered his men to attack, intending to envelope both British flanks, while attacking their center with a bayonet charge. Meanwhile, he sent Colonel William Washington and his cavalry on a sweeping ride around the British and into their rear. The Americans seemed to be on the verge of overwhelming Rawdon and his men.

But as the American line charged down the hill the 1st Maryland Infantry on Greene’s right fell into confusion. One company of the Marylanders had hesitated after their commanding officer was killed and their disorder soon spread to the rest of the regiment. The regiment’s commander, Col. John Gunby, pulled the men back in order to reform his line. Seeing the Americans withdrawing, Rawdon ordered a charge, and the American line collapsed, sparking a full retreat. Meanwhile, although Washington’s cavalry had successfully gained the British rear, they were so delayed by dealing with their prisoners that they didn’t make it onto the battlefield in time to prevent the rout.

Rawdon’s force wasn’t large enough to capitalize on the victory, however. He left a small occupying force on Hobkirk’s Hill (which Washington’s cavalry soon dispersed) and took the rest of his men back to Camden. Two weeks later, outnumbered, outflanked, and at risk of being trapped, Rawdon abandoned Camden and retreated toward Charleston.

Like the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, and like two more battles to come in South Carolina, while the British technically won the Battle of Hobkirk’s Hill, Greene and his army achieved their strategic goal. As Greene would put it, “We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again.”

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