10 facts about Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site

The site's main structure was built in 1777 and rebuilt in 1977. Joseph Kershaw built the mansion, but after the British took Camden, Gen. Charles Cornwallis used the building as a headquarters during an 11-month Redcoat occupation of the town.

The exhibits at Historic Camden include reconstructions of some of the military fortifications and these cannons, which were left behind when the British evacuated the site in the spring of 1781.

The 107-acre site preserves structures and grounds representative of the Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War. It is managed by a consortium of private donors and local governments and is an affiliated unit of the National Park Service.

When the British captured Camden, it amounted to two city blocks of period homes and military barracks surrounded by a palisade log fence. Camden was situated at a crossroads of major routes to Charleston, S.C., and Savannah, Ga.

During the 11-month British occupation, the site served as the garrison for two major engagements, the Battle of Camden and Battle of Hobkirk's Hill. In the former, Aug. 16, 1870, Cornwallis routed the American forces of Major General Horatio Gates, strengthening the British hold on the Carolinas after the capture of Charleston.

The controversial Gates was involved, early in the war, in an attempt to oust George Washington as commander-in-chief of American forces. Historians attribute his loss at Camden to his overestimation of his troops' abilities and his lack of preparations for an organized retreat.

In the Battle of Hobkirk Hill, fought on April 25, 1781, American Nathaniel Greene lost a hard-contested skirmish against a British force led by Francis Rawdon. Despite winning the battle, Rawdon still had to retreat back to Camden. Within two weeks, the British abandoned Camden altogether.

Future president Andrew Jackson was a young man during the Revolutionary War, but he served, nonetheless. At age 13, he was wounded and captured by a British officer, then imprisoned in Camden (1780-1781). He was released in a prisoner exchange.

Special events at Historic Camden include Revolutionary War Field Days, held the first full weekend in November. It typically includes a daily battle, living-history demonstrations, traditional craftsmen, a period fashion show and childrens activities.

Pronounced “Mc-Cah’s” Tavern, the original structure was built in the late 1700s and at one point was a residence and office for Dr. John McCaa. McCaa’s father ran the original McCaa’s Tavern just down the road from the Historic Camden site, in about 1794.