Dr. Benjamin Church, the first Surgeon General of the Continental Army, was a secret British spy whose treason was exposed in 1775, leading to his exile and mysterious disappearance at sea.
After the British victory at the Battle of Camden in August 1780, Major Patrick Ferguson was dispatched to the Southern Colonies. His task was to recruit members to fight for the Loyalist militia and protect Cornwallis’s left flank as he attempted to move through the Carolinas.
Despite the prominent role Cornwallis played in the Revolution, Henry Clinton was blamed for the loss of the American colonies following the surrender at Yorktown.
In 1779, after a stalemate in the north, Cornwallis went south as second in command to Sir Henry Clinton. Clinton captured Charleston in May 1780. Cornwallis pressed on to defeat General Horatio Gates at Camden, South Carolina, on August 16, 1780.
Uncovering History
We invite you to visit the preserved locations along the Liberty Trail and to immerse
yourself in the extraordinary events that determined the fate of a nation.
This tavern marked the turning point of Washington's advance against Henry Clinton's column. It was here that the order was given to Charles Lee to attack the next morning, June 28, 1778, thus commencing the Battle of Monmouth.
Fort Fair Lawn was a British outpost in 1780–1781 and was the target of a daring Patriot raid on November 17, 1781, and abandoned by the British a week later.
Now a quiet park in the center of urban Morristown, this green once served as the training and parade grounds of the Continental Army during its 1777 winter encampment.
The Battle of Mount Holly, also known as Iron Works Hill, fought on December 23, 1776, was a minor skirmish in which Hessian Colonel Carl von Donop occupied the town, diverting his forces from Trenton and indirectly contributing to Washington’s victory there three days later.
Once owned and operated by Founding Father Patrick Henry, it was while living in this home that Patrick Henry coined the phrase "Give me liberty or give me death!"
Mount Vernon acted as the former plantation estate of the legendary Revolutionary War general, George Washington. The current estate includes the original mansion, gardens, tombs, a working farm, a functioning distillery and gristmill, plus a museum and education center.
Huck’s Defeat occurred on July 12, 1780. The battleground is on the site of Historic Brattonsville, a former colonial plantation.
Following the American Revolution, the Sentry Box served as the home for Hugh Mercer's family following his passing at the Battle of Princeton in 1777.
The Battle of the Capes occurred around the mouth of Chesapeake Bay in 1781. The naval battle occurred between the French and the British navies. Even though the battle lasted two hours, it played a significant role in the Siege of Yorktown's success, ultimately leading to the United States' independence.
One of the many forts that dotted the landscape around Charleston, Patriots seized this fortification and raised the Moultrie flag, which bears resemblance to the modern standard of South Carolina.
The Battle of Camden was a devastating defeat suffered by the Americans in the British military offensive in the South.
The Hampton Roads Naval Museum is one of ten U.S. Navy-run museums in the country. It highlights Virginia's naval history from the American Revolution to the present.