The Battle of Hanging Rock the Second of the Three Camps, Where the by James Legg Defenders Were Mostly British Provincials
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University of South Carolina Scholar Commons Archaeology and Anthropology, South Carolina Faculty & Staff ubP lications Institute of 8-2011 The aB ttle of aH nging Rock James B. Legg University of South Carolina - Columbia, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/sciaa_staffpub Part of the Anthropology Commons Publication Info Published in Legacy, Volume 15, Issue 2, 2011, pages 5-5. http://www.cas.sc.edu/sciaa/ © 2011 by The outhS Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology This Article is brought to you by the Archaeology and Anthropology, South Carolina Institute of at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty & Staff ubP lications by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Sumter’s men turned their attention to The Battle of Hanging Rock the second of the three camps, where the By James Legg defenders were mostly British provincials. Immediately after the fall of Charleston to increasingly active and dangerous The defenders employed light artillery the British in May 1780, the victors began beyond the frontier of British control. firing canister, and launched at least a campaign to subjugate the interior of Small posts and patrols of loyalists were two determined infantry counterattacks South Carolina. The task did not appear to variously captured, disarmed, ambushed, against the Americans, but Sumter’s be a serious challenge. The only remaining and slaughtered. A large uprising of riflemen nearly annihilated the musket- “Rebel” force of any importance was a loyalists in southern North Carolina wielding British. After a fierce struggle, ragged little army of South Carolina and was completely crushed. While there the second camp was also overrun, and the North Carolina militia, commanded (after was still clearly no American force that defenders retreated to the vicinity of the June 15th) by Thomas Sumter. This force might oppose a British field army, British third camp. There they formed a formal consisted largely of upcountry riflemen, authority in the backcountry was almost infantry square, and awaited their fate. most of them mounted. They were far non-existent. By this time, too few in number to directly oppose Several smaller, outlying posts however, the British occupation. Lord Cornwallis’ supplemented the major British post Sumter’s men strategy for returning South Carolina at Camden. About 20 miles north of were nearly to the Crown was two-fold. First, he Camden, an extensive camp complex exhausted, established a chain of fortified posts in was established along the south bank and were the interior, the most important of which of Hanging Rock Creek, north of the almost out of were at Augusta, Ninety-Six, and Camden. remarkable conglomerate outcrop called ammunition, Secondly, he expected a general popular Hanging Rock. The garrison there may including uprising of loyalist citizens to present have totaled as many as 1,300, including what they themselves for service with a royal militia. loyalist militia and provincial troops––the had captured. These two developments would surely latter were “semi-regular” British units Many had convince any remaining holdouts that whose personnel were recruited in the left the ranks their cause was lost, and Cornwallis might colonies. A small detachment of Royal to loot the turn his attention to reconquering the Artillery was also present. These forces enemy camps, Fig. 2: “Hanging Rock,” as remainder of the Southern colonies. were dispersed among three camps and some depicted by Benson Lossing The British interior posts were arrayed from west to east (or southeast) on had made in 1849. quickly established, but the effort to raise cultivated high ground south of the creek. liberal use of captured rum. When a small a loyalist militia was poorly organized Contrary to some sources, the positions reinforcement of provincial cavalry arrived and supplied, and the turnout was less were apparently not fortified. from Rocky Mount, the American advance than overwhelming. More ominously in On July 30th, Thomas Sumter’s force halted, and Sumter’s men began a gradual the summer of 1780, the Rebels became attacked a smaller, heavily fortified British withdrawal. Casualty figures for the battle post at Rocky Mount, about 15 miles west vary widely––it suffices to say that losses of Hanging Rock. The Americans were were serious on both sides. repulsed after a severe action. That same The attack on Hanging Rock was day, North Carolinians under William R. well planned, savage, and sustained. Davie, who was serving under Sumter, While it was not a complete American cut off a loyalist column nearing the victory, it must have given the British Hanging Rock camps. The loyalists were something to contemplate. But for the massacred, without quarter, within sight of timing, Hanging Rock might have a more the camps. substantial place among the battles of the On the morning of August 6th, 1780, Southern Campaign. As it was, it was Sumter threw his entire force of at least 600 followed on August 16th by the destruction (probably many more) against the post of of the new regular American army in the Hanging Rock. Attacking from the west South, at the Battle of Camden. Two days and north, the Americans surprised and later, Thomas Sumter’s militia army was immediately overran the left (western) routed and dispersed at Fishing Creek. camp, which was held by several hundred Once again, it must have seemed that there North Carolina loyalists under Col. Samuel was little to interfere with the British re- Fig. 1: Thomas Sumter, the “South Carolina Gamecock,” by Charles Willson Bryan. Bryan’s men fled in disorder, and conquest of the South. Peale. Legacy, Vol. 15, No. 2, August 2011 5.