Forgotten Battle 1

Welcome viewers, to the first article for Forgotten Battles.

This month's forgotten battle is...

The Battle of Hanging Rock

Intro

The Battle of Hanging Rock was fought on August 6, 1780, in Lancaster County, South Carolina. It was fought during the American Revolutionary War between American patriots and British soldiers with American loyalists. It was a small battle that would make a difference in the American Revolution.

Part I

The year of 1780 had begun very badly for the Americans fighting in the Revolution. The city of Charleston had fallen after a month long siege. And an American army under the command of Abraham Buford had been completely annihilated (and allegedly massacred) at the Battle of Waxhaws in Lancaster County, South Carolina. By July, the British were in complete control of both South Carolina and Georgia, or so they thought.

Scattered through the Carolinas were dozens of groups of American militia and regulars who began to engage the British in guerrilla warfare. One of the leaders of these guerrilla units was a man named, Thomas Sumter. Sumter was an ardent patriot who believed in American independence. Despite the recent military setbacks for the patriot cause, he was determined to continue the fight using guerrilla warfare. Sumter learned that the British had erected a small fortification at a place called, Hanging Rock.

Part II

The fortification at Hanging Rock was held by a garrison of 900 British regulars and American Loyalists under the command of Major John Carden. Colonel Sumter had just over 500 militia under his command. Although Sumter had suffered a defeat at Rocky Mount just five days earlier, he was still determined to make a difference in the War for American Independence. 

As Sumter's army approached the British camp they met up with another patriot army led by William R. Davie. Colonel Davie told Sumter that the fortification actually contained 1,400 regulars and loyalists. With this new information and his army now at 800 strong (among them was future President Andrew Jackson), Sumter decided to launch a pincer movement against the British using three mounted detachments of patriot militiamen. It was a bold plan that relied on the element of surprise and complete coordination. Early on the morning of August 6, they launched their attack.

The British and Loyalists were caught completely off guard. The patriot cavalry under Colonel Davie and Major Richard Winn immediately rode into the camp and overwhelmed the first line of defense. The loyalists broke and ran within minutes. However, the second line of defense was held by British regulars (the British Legion) who stood their ground. The patriot cavalry was temporarily forced back from the camp by a volume of heavy fire from the Legion. But then, Colonel Sumter's infantry attacked and overran the British Legion's position. By now the Loyalist camp was in complete chaos and what remained of the force quickly scattered. After three hours of fighting, the battle was over.

Epilogue

The casualties for the battle were light yet very lopsided. The patriots suffered only 12 killed and 41 wounded. By contrast, the British casualties are believed to be at 192 killed or wounded. Colonel Sumter claimed to have captured at least 70 British regulars and American loyalists. He and Colonel Davie had scored a sorely needed victory for the patriot cause. 

Unfortunately, their victory was short-lived. Instead of pursuing the retreating British and loyalists, the patriots decided to loot the camp before withdrawing from the battlefield. While they did scatter the loyalist camp, and gained a significant number of weapons, ammunition, and horses, the patriots failed to attack the nearby British camp. This would would allow the British to successfully regroup and retain control of the area. Ten days later, the patriots suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Camden. For the next three months, the patriots (including Sumter and Davie's armies) were forced to fight a guerrilla war.

Today however, the battle of Hanging Rock is still considered a major American victory in the Revolutionary War. The South Carolina patriots proved that they could defeat the British in battle and inspired many more to enlist and join the revolution. It also paved the way for how the patriots would effectively wage war on the British (through guerrilla tactics) and eventually emerge victorious.

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/hanging-rock

https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_battle_of_hanging_rock.html

https://www.myrevolutionarywar.com/battles/800806-hanging-rock/

https://northcarolinagenealogy.org/mecklenburg/battle_of_hanging_rock.htm