Hobkirk's Hill

Lacking sufficient men to attack the British in Camden, Greene retired north and occupied a strong position on Hobkirk’s Hill. Greene hoped that he could draw Rawdon out of Camden and defeat him in an open battle. Rawdon, concerned that …

1781-04-25

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Lacking sufficient men to attack the British in Camden, Greene retired north and occupied a strong position on Hobkirk’s Hill. Greene hoped that he could draw Rawdon out of Camden and defeat him in an open battle. Rawdon, concerned that Marion and Lee might reinforce Greene, began making plans to attack the Continental Army. Moving forward on a narrow front, Rawdon overwhelmed the Continental front line of pickets. Greene, seeing the nature of the British attack, sought to overlap Rawdon’s flanks with his larger force and ordered his flank units to attack. As the two sides neared, two Continental leaders were wounded, which caused confusion in the ranks. Rawdon continued to press the attack and under this pressure and without commanding officers, the Continental line broke. Seeing that the battle was lost, Greene directed his remaining men to retreat north and ordered Huger to cover the withdrawal.

Camden, South Carolina

The Battle of Hobkirk's Hill was a battle of the American Revolutionary War fought on April 25, 1781, near Camden, South Carolina. A small American force under Nathanael Greene occupying Hobkirk's Hill, north of Camden, was attacked by British troops led by Francis Rawdon. After a fierce clash, Greene retreated, leaving Rawdon's smaller force in possession of the hill.

Wikipedia: Battle of Hobkirk's Hill

Continental Army

Great Britain