Camden, the Swamp Fox, and Green River Road
Plus Carolina Days and the Battle of Sullivan's Island
America’s 250th birthday is just two days away! We hope you’re planning a fun celebration of this special anniversary with families and friends.
This week, we continue our four-part series on Revolutionary War battles, written by Tom Poland. Below, read the introduction to Part 2, which focuses on the Battle of Camden. South Carolina’s role in the Revolutionary War remains in our focus this week as we share the story of Francis Marion, aka the “Swamp Fox,” then journey down the historic Green River Road. We’ll wrap up with Carolina Days in Georgetown.
The Battle of Camden
Part 2 of Three Battles and a Massacre
By Tom Poland
I walk past monuments and flags, past where Redcoats mortally wounded beloved Continental officer Maj. Gen. Baron de Kalb, born Johann Kalb. Past where five Patriots fell. Past where a member of Fraser’s Highlanders died and is buried. The 71st Regiment of Foot, Fraser’s Highlanders, was a prominent British infantry regiment raised to serve in the American Revolutionary War. Lt. Gen. Simon Fraser composed the unit of two battalions recruited from the Scottish Highlands. They were elite, battle-hardened, and feared for their skill with the bayonet.
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The Swamp Fox
South Carolina Lowcountry
In spring 1780, British forces under General Henry Clinton besieged Charleston, South Carolina. After six weeks, on May 12, Major General Benjamin Lincoln surrendered roughly 5,000 Continental troops—the worst American defeat of the Revolutionary War. The loss gave Britain control of the South and nearly crushed Patriot resistance. Francis Marion, a lieutenant colonel in the Continental Army recovering from a broken ankle, escaped capture. He raised a small militia and waged guerrilla warfare from the swamps and backcountry. Using hit-and-run ambushes, Marion disrupted British supply lines and morale. British Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton’s failed pursuit earned Marion the nickname “Swamp Fox.” His resilient tactics helped revive the southern Patriot effort and led to his promotion to brigadier general.
