Battle of Hobkirk's Hill
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The Battle of Hobkirk's Hill (sometimes referred to as the Second Battle of Camden) was a battle of the American Revolutionary War fought on April 25, 1781, near Camden, South Carolina. Nathanael Greene considered the battle a lost opportunity to defeat a significant force of the British Army under Lord Francis Rawdon and compel the British forces in South Carolina to abandon their outpost scattered across the colony for the safety of Charleston.[1]
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[edit] Background
After Guilford Court House, Cornwallis's force was spent and in great need of supply. He therefore moved his army towards Wilmington, North Carolina where he had previously ordered supplies to be sent. Greene pursued the British force for a short time before deciding to take his forces into South Carolina. Greene hoped that by threatening the British garrisons in the state he could force Cornwallis to pursue him and then engage the British on ground favorable to his army.
When informed of this strategy, Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee replied on April 2nd:
"I am decidedly of opinion with you that nothing is left for you but to imitate the example of Scipio Africanus[2]."
When Cornwallis did not pursue the Continental Army, Greene chose to reduce the British garrisons scattered throughout South Carolina in order to force the British back into Charleston.[3]
To this end, Greene started his army of 1,450 men, made up of four Continental regiments, Lee's Legion, Washington's Cavalry and Campbell's Riflemen, as rapidly and secretly as possible to Camden which was at the center of the British line of posts in South Carolina. At the same time he hoping to secure the cooperation of the various partisan bands in South Carolina.[4] This movement was part of an intricate campaign Green ordered involving Continental and Militia troops all across the colony.
The Camden garrison, under Lord Francis Rawdon, was made up the 63rd (The West Suffolk) Regiment of Foot, Volunteers of Ireland, King's American Regiment, New York Volunteers, South Carolina Royalists and a small detachment of cavalry.[5]
The town of Camden was situated on a gently elevation. The town was covered by the Wateree River on the on the South and Southwest and the Pinetree creek on the east. A ring of redoubts, which the British had constructed during their year long occupation of the town, stretched from the Wateree to the Pinetree and covered the northern approaches to the town.[6] Upon arrival on April 20, 1781 at Camden, it was apparent that the Continentals had lost the element of surprise as Rawdon's forces were prepared on all fronts. Being unable to storm the town or invest the entire circle of fortifications, Greene chose to encamp his army about a mile and a half from the town on a small elevation called Hobkirk's Hill blocking Great Waxhaw Road. [7]
The following evening, Greene intelligence indicated that a force of some four hundred British soldiers was marching to Camden to join up with Rowdon's garrison. Greene had his army move to the east to cover the road from Charleston. Finding the terrain too marshy for moving the artillery, Green ordered Colonel Carrington with the South Carolina Militia to remove the cannon to a position of safety and await further orders.[8][9][10] On April 24th, having received updated information that the additional forces were not on their way to join the Camden garrison, Greene removed his forces back to Hobkirk's Hill and sent orders for Carrington and the artillery to rejoin the army.
Earlier the next morning a Continental deserter, sometimes identified as a drummer[11][12], made his way into Camden. He was brought before Rowdon and informed the British commander of the Continental Army's dispositions and that the artillery had not returned. Fearing that General Marion and General Lee were on their way to join Greene and believing Continental artillery was many miles away, Rowdon decided it was a judicious time to attack.[13]
[edit] Battle
On the morning of April 25, 1781, Lord Francis Rawdon sallied forth from the security of the Camden fortifications with 900 troops at approximately 9am.
The British were outnumbered 900 to General Nathanael Greene's 1,500. This was Lord Francis Rawdon's first independent commanding battle, but, despite the fact he was outnumbered, he did not want to make his first commanding battle a retreating one. He tried to attack Greene's army by surprise, but Greene made a battle strategy quickly. Rawdon countered Greene's first moves, and Greene was forced to withdraw to the old battlefield of Camden when his advancing line faltered at one point in the battle.
This left Rawdon in control of Hobkirk's Hill. Though Rawdon had won, he was forced to retreat to Charleston soon afterwards since he had too few troops remaining to hold the hill.
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- Greene, Francis Vinton D. General Greene Appleton and Company 1893
- Marshall, John Life of George Washington Second Edition J. Crissy 1836
- Gunby, Andrew Augustus Colonel John Gunby of the Maryland Line The Robert Clarke Company 1902
