Battle of Hobkirk's Hill

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. [Greene p. 228-233]

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:

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. [Greene p. 228-233]

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 towards Camden, which was at the center of the British line of posts in South Carolina. At the same time he hoped to secure the cooperation of the various partisan bands in South Carolina. [Greene pgs 231-232] The movement was part of an intricate campaign orgnised by Greene involving Continental and Militia troops all across the colony.

The Camden garrison under Lord Francis Rawdon included the 63rd (The West Suffolk) Regiment of Foot, the Volunteers of Ireland, the King's American Regiment, the New York Volunteers, the South Carolina Royalists and a small detachment of cavalry. [Greene p. 240]

The town of Camden was situated on a gentle elevation. To the South and Southwest lay the Wateree River and to the East was the Pinetree creek. A ring of redoubts, constructed by the British during their year long occupation of the town, stretched from the Wateree to the Pinetree and covered the northern approaches. [ Marshall Vol. II p. 4] 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 surround the entire circle of fortifications, Greene chose to encamp his army about a mile and a half away on a small elevation called Hobkirk's Hill, blocking Great Waxhaw Road. [Gunby p. 68]

The following evening, Greene's intelligence indicated that a force of some four hundred British soldiers was marching to Camden to join Rawdon's garrison. Greene moved his army to the east to cover the road from Charleston. Finding the terrain too marshy for the artillery, he ordered Colonel Carrington with the South Carolina Militia to remove the cannon to a position of safety and await further orders. [Gunby p. 69] [Marshall Vol. II p. 4] [Greene p. 239] On April 24, 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.

Early the next morning a Continental deserter, sometimes identified as a drummer [Gunby p. 69] [Marshall Vol. II p. 5] , made his way into Camden. He was brought before Rawdon 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, Rawdon decided it was a judicious time to attack. [Greene 239]

Battle

[
thumb|right|Battle of Hobkirk's Hill]

On the morning of April 25, 1781, Rawdon was still under the impression that the Continental army was without its artillery. At approximately 9am he left the security of the Camden fortifications with 900 troops.

However, Carrington had returned to Hobkirk's Hill that morning, together with the artillery and provisions which were distributed to the Continental troops. At around 11 am, while many of the Continentals were occupied with cooking and washing clothes, the advanced pickets detected the British forces which had gained the American left by a long march skirting a swamp next to the ridge occupied by the Continental Army.

The advanced pickets, under Captain Robert Kirkwood [Greene p. 240] , were able to delay the British advance giving Greene time to give orders and address his forces distribution. He placed the Virginia Regiment under Lieutenant Colonel Campbell on the extreme right with another Virginia Regiment under Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Hawes to their left. On the extreme left, Greene placed the 5th Maryland under Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Ford, with the 1st Maryland commanded by John Gunby to their right. [Gunby p. 70] [Green p. 239] The artillery was placed in the center with North Carolina militia in the rear.

Having extricated his forces from the woods and forced back the pickets, Rawdon arranged his forces and slowly advanced up the ridge towards the waiting Continentals. Greene, perceiving the British forces were presenting a narrow front, ordered an attack. He instructed Campbell on the right to wheel his men to the left and engage the British on their flank with Ford to take his men and make a similar movement on the left. Greene ordered the two remaining regiments in the center to advance with bayonets and confront the enemy head on, while Washington was to take his cavalry around the British left flank and attack the enemy in the rear. [ Marshall Vol II p. 5-6] [Greene p. 240]

During the advance of the 1st Maryland on the British left, Captain William Beatty jr., who was in command to the right of the 1st Maryland regiment, was killed causing his company to stop their advance. Gunby ordered his men to stop their advance and fall back with the intention of reforming their line. At this time, Benjamin Ford of the 5th Maryland was mortally wounded throwing his troops into disorder. Finding their flank in disarray and being threatened by a company of Irish troops Rawdon had brought up to strengthen his flank, the Maryland troops rallied briefly to fire a few rounds and then left the field in disorder. Seeing this, Rawdon quickly rallied his flagging troops and advanced, taking the field [Greene p. 241] [Gunby p. 73] .

Notes

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

External links

* [http://www.multied.com/revolt/Hobkirks.html Battle of Hobkirk's Hill 1781]
* [http://www.myrevolutionarywar.com/battles/810425B.htm Battle of Hobkirk's Hill]