The Revolutionary War in SC: 10 Best Sites

This site offers visitors a two-for-one Revolutionary War experience. The Battle of Sullivan’s Island was fought here on June 28, 1776 when defenders of partially completed Fort Sullivan under Col. William Moultrie defeated a British naval squadron, whose cannon balls could not damage the soft, palmetto-log walls of the fort. An amphibious landing by British troops also was repelled, prompting the British to withdraw and not return until 1780 when the second Siege of Charleston captured the city. The fort, as now constructed, was completed in 1809. Its interior has been restored to reflect American seacoast defenses from the Revolutionary War through World War II. Located near the fort is a National Park visitor center and an “African Passages” exhibit recounting the role Sullivan’s Island played in the slave trade.

A number of actions took place in and around Camden during the Revolutionary War, and British Gen. Charles Lord Cornwallis commandeered the colonial Georgian house built by Joseph Kershaw from 1780-81. The 107-acre site features the reconstructed Kershaw-Cornwallis House and the rehabilitated 1800-era McCaa’s Tavern. Other exhibits include log homes, the restored 1785 John Craven House, the 1830 Cunningham House (now an office and gift shop) and a blacksmith shed with working forge, as well as reconstructions of some of the fortifications built by the British. The first weekend in November, Historic Camden hosts the annual Revolutionary War Field Days, which attracts 500-600 re-enactors and includes a daily battle, history demonstrations, craftsmen, a period fashion show and kids’ activities. The museum is open Tuesday-Saturday and Sunday afternoons, or by appointment.

Eutaw Springs is the site of the last Revolutionary War battle in South Carolina. It took place Sept. 8, 1781 when Gen. Nathanael Greene’s 2,000 troops attacked a British camp on Eutaw Creek under the command of British Col. Alexander Stewart. The Americans drove out the British, but then stopped to loot the tents, and the British counterattack drove off Greene’s men. Still, Greene’s goal of preventing troops in South Carolina from joining up with Cornwallis in Virginia was accomplished. The battleground park on the banks of Lake Marion includes a historic marker telling the story of the battle. Also on the grounds is the tomb of British Major John Majoribanks, an accomplished commander.

On Aug. 19, 1780, one of the war’s bloodiest clashes took place when a group of 200 Patriot militia men attacked what turned out to be a much larger force of Loyalists camped on the Enoree River. Rather than retreat, the Americans took up a strong defensive position, inflicting heavy casualties on the attacking Loyalists, who eventually gave up the counterattack. The park includes a visitor center with interpretative exhibits focusing on the battle and South Carolina’s role in the war. A 2.5-mile nature trail takes you to the Enoree River, Cedar Shoals Creek and Horseshoe Falls, where according to legend the daughter of a mill owner hid a Patriot soldier from the British. Special events and living history programs take place throughout the year.