Camden Battlefield
Description and history
British General Charles Cornwallis, had encamped at Camden in the summer of 1780 to secure northern South Carolina against the threat of Continental Army forces in North Carolina. These forces, only recently placed under the command of General Horatio Gates, advanced to Rugeley's Mill, about 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Camden on August 15. Both commanders then ordered a night march to attack the other. These forces met in the dark at 2:00 AM on the morning of August 16. After a brief clash, both sides formed lines, and resumed the battle at daybreak. The battle was a rout, as the militia forces under Gates' command threw down their weapons and fled at the first gunfire, and his Continental forces were eventually surrounded and forced to surrender, with their commander, Baron Johann de Kalb suffering mortal injuries. The defeat marked a low point in the battle for American independence.
The area where this battle took place is roughly defined by Gum Swamp Creek and another further to its east, both of which drain into Lake Shamokin to the north. This area is roughly bisected by Flat Rock Rd, along which a marker has been placed where Baron de Kalb fell. The battlefield area measures about 1 mile (1.6 km) east-west and 3 miles (4.8 km) north-south. The area is largely composed of grasslands and forest, much as it would have been at the time of the battle.
See also
- List of National Historic Landmarks in South Carolina
- National Register of Historic Places in Kershaw County, South Carolina
References
- ^ James Dillon (May 28, 1975). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: The Camden Battlefield" (pdf). National Park Service.
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(help) and Accompanying two photos, from 1975 (32 KB) - ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ "Camden Battlefield". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2008-01-01. Retrieved 2008-03-06.
- ^ "Camden Battlefield". American Battlefield Trust. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
External links
- Camden Battlefield, Kershaw County (S.C. Sec. Rd. 58, Camden vicinity), at South Carolina Department of Archives and History