The Liberty Trail—South Carolina

Discover The Liberty Trail South Carolina

America’s independence was secured in South Carolina across its swamps, fields, woods and mountains. These events of 1779-1782 directly led to victory in the Revolutionary War. We call this history The Liberty Trail.

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The Liberty Trail

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States of Interest:
States
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Andrew Jackson State Park
State/County Park
Andrew Jackson State Park

196 Andrew Jackson Park Rd
Lancaster, SC 29720

Andrew Jackson State Park combines history, art and community activities into a setting that has made it one of the state’s most popular parks.

Historic Site | Museum
Berkeley County Museum and Heritage Center

950 Stony Landing Rd.
Moncks Corner, SC 29461

The Berkeley County Museum is located in historic Moncks Corner, South Carolina and contains Revolutionary stories and artifacts from around the county.

Battlefield | Historic Site
Biggin Church

Moncks Corner, SC

During the British occupation of Charleston in 1781, these grounds were part of a British outpost to supply ammunition and provisions to patrolling British troops.

Photograph of a battlefield with a stone marker in the foreground.
Battlefield
Blackstock's Plantation

568 Monument Rd
Enoree, SC 29335

British Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton pushed up the Enoree River hot on the trail of Patriot Brigadier General Thomas Sumter.

Boone Plantation House
Historic Site | Gardens & Grounds
Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens

1235 Long Point Rd
Mt Pleasant, SC 29464

Boone Hall was influential in the history of South Carolina. Explore the house and grounds of this Colonial Plantation, as well as a live presentation of the Gullah Culture adapted by African slaves.

Battlefield
Breach Inlet at Sullivan's Island

3217 Middle St
Sullivan's Island, SC 29482

Treacherous waters and Patriot fire foil a British attack on Charleston Harbor

Burch's Mill by Dale Watson
Historic Site
Burch's Mill

1917 N Old River Road
Pamplico, SC 29583

Located in the Pee Dee region of South Carolina, it was here that Francis Marion signed a treaty with a local Loyalist militia leader, effectively ending hostilities in the area

Image of a split rail fence along the side of a road with a historical marker sign reading Battle of Camden
Battlefield
Camden Battlefield

1698 Flat Rock Rd
Camden, SC 29020

The Battle of Camden was a devastating defeat suffered by the Americans in the British military offensive in the South.

Jane Thomas Black Cedar Springs Tour Stop
Historic Site | Battlefield
Cedar Springs

140 Cedar Springs Place
Spartanburg, SC 29302

When Jane Black Thomas overheard Loyalists plotting a surprise attack on her son's militia camp, she rode nearly 60 miles through dangerous territory to warn him. Her daring ride gave Colonel John Thomas Jr. and his Spartan Regiment time to prepare an ambush that repelled the attackers — fueling Patriot momentum toward the war-changing Battle of King's Mountain just three months later.

1828 Lowcountry cottage and grounds
Historic Site | Historic House
Pinckney's Plantation

1254 Long Point Road
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

This park preserves the story of Charles Pinckney and his contributions to the U.S. Constitution, and of 18th century plantation life for free and enslaved people of Snee Farm inhabitants.

Cherokee County Museum
Historic Site | Museum
Cherokee County Museum

301 College Drive
Gaffney, SC 29340

With a rotating collection of artifacts and interactive exhibits, the Cherokee County Museum has something for all ages and interests.

British re-enactors marching in front of the Kershwaw-Cornwallis house in Historic Camden
Battlefield | Historic Site
Colonial Camden

212 Broad Street
Camden, SC 29020

A former British headquarters, explore the reconstructed Kershaw/Cornwallis House, British redoubts, and programs about colonial life.

Battle of Coosawhatchie, Commissioned by The South Carolina Historical Society
Battlefield
Coosawhatchie

6904 West Frontage Road
Coosawhatchie, SC 29912

In May 1779, British troops under Augustine Prevost advanced toward Charleston, prompting William Moultrie to withdraw as John Laurens rashly engaged at the Coosawhatchie River and was driven back with heavy losses.

Patriot re-enactors show school age children how to fire a canon
Battlefield | National Park
Cowpens

4001 Chesnee Hwy
Gaffney, SC 29341

The Cowpens Battlefield commemorates Daniel Morgan’s victory over Banastre Tarleton on January 17, 1781.

Historic Site | Historic House
Drayton Hall

3380 Ashley River Rd.
Charleston, SC 29414

Visit Historic Drayton Hall — Tour the nation’s oldest preserved plantation house in America still open to the public. Explore Drayton Hall's 18th-century architecture, landscapes & the people who lived here.

Battlefield
Eutaw Springs

12933 Old Number Six Hwy
Eutawville, SC 29048

This last major battle of the war in the South succeeded in driving the British out of rural South Carolina.

Dorchester
Battlefield | State/County Park
Fort Dorchester

300 State Park Rd
Summerville, SC 29485

An oyster-shell, “tabby,” fortress, originally constructed here during the French and Indian War, was restored, and occupied by both the British and Patriots.

Battlefield | Historic Site
Fort Fair Lawn

950 Stoney Landing Rd
Moncks Corner, SC 29461

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.

Fort Johnson (Dale Watson)
Historic Site | Fort/Outpost
Fort Johnson

Fort Johnson Rd
Charleston, SC 29412

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.

Image of the Visitor Center at Fort Moultrie
Battlefield | National Park
Fort Sullivan

Fort Sumter National Monument
Sullivan's Island, SC 29482

The Battle of Sullivan’s Island, fought near the site of today’s Fort Moultrie in June 1776, was the first significant Patriot victory of the Revolutionary War.

Fort Thicketty
Battlefield | Fort/Outpost
Fort Thicketty

184 State Road S-11-584
Gaffney, SC 29340

A station constructed during high tensions with the Cherokee, this fortification was utilized by Loyalists until July of 1780.

Shape of the state of South Carolina with red dot showing the location of Fort Watson
State/County Park | Fort/Outpost
Fort Watson

1142 Fort Watson Rd
Summerton, SC 29148

After an eight-day siege, this strategic outpost fell to the Americans, who used an ingenious structure called Maham’s Tower to fire down into the fort and trap the enemy.

Image of Cypress trees in a swamp
National Park | Historic Site
Francis Marion National Forest

2967 Steed Creek Rd.
Huger, SC 29450

The Francis Marion is a forest literally steeped in history. Marion, dubbed the “Swamp Fox” by the British troops whose supply lines he disrupted with surprise attacks from the swamps.

Image of Francis Marion grave site on Belle Island Plantation Cemetery
Historic Site
Marion's Tomb

1 General Francis Marion Avenue
Pineville, SC 29468

Francis Marion was a skilled military leader during the American Revolutionary War, known for his guerilla tactics and strategic maneuvers in the Southern Campaign. His contributions to the war effort and his enduring legacy as a symbol of American resilience and military ingenuity remain today.

Image of an in ground tombstone with black and gold fencing surrounding
Historic Site
General Moultrie's Grave

1214 Middle St.
Sullivan's Island, SC 29482

William Moultrie died in 1805 and was buried in the family cemetery. In 1977, his remains were moved to Sullivan's Island within Fort Moultrie.

Image of a swampy lake surrounded by trees at sunset
State/County Park
Goodale State Park

650 State Rd S-28-331
Camden, SC 29020

Not far from Camden Battlefield, Goodale State Park is lined with cypress trees, a spring-fed lake that offers boating, fishing, and hiking opportunities.

James Williams Grave
Historic Site
Grave of Col. James WIlliams

210 North Limestone Street
Gaffney, SC 29340

James Henderson Williams, a South Carolina militia colonel and Patriot leader, was killed at the Battle of Kings Mountain in 1780 and is commemorated here, where his remains were later reinterred and a memorial erected in his honor.

Image of a swamp with reeds in the foreground
Battlefield | State/County Park
Great Savannah

Pine Island Entrance Rd.
Summerton, SC 29148

Located within the Santee Wildlife Refuge, this was the last major battle of the war in South Carolina.

Image of a swampy area in a forest
Battlefield
Halfway Swamp

Old River Rd
Pinewood, SC 29125

McLeroth and his 64th Regiment were escorting 200 recruits from Charleston to Camden when Marion, with about 700 men, surprised them at Halfway Swamp.

Image of the front of a large white house surrounded by trees
State/County Park | Historic House
Hampton Plantation State Historic Site

1950 Rutledge Rd.
McClellanville, SC 29458

This 18th-century plantation home, on the grounds of the Hampton Plantation State Historic Site, served as a place of refuge for Francis Marion who hid here from when British troops.

Image of a large overhanging rock with a forest in the background
Battlefield
Hanging Rock

Heath Springs, SC 29058

This battleground was the site of three British camps, attacked by Patriot troops on August 6, 1780. It was a fight primarily between countrymen.

Image of the interior living room of the Hanover House
Historic Site | Historic House
Hanover House

113 Hanover Cir
Clemson, SC 29634

Built in 1716 for Paul de St. Julien in Berkeley County. The house was later dismantled and moved to Clemson University and functions as a house museum.

Historic Site | Historic House
Heyward House

87 Church St.
Charleston, SC 29403

This historic house museum was the home of Thomas Heyward, Jr., one of four South Carolina signers of the Declaration of Independence.

A photo of a large white colonial era three story house with columns
Historic Site | Historic House
Historic Brattonsville

1444 Brattonsville Rd.
McConnells, SC 29726

Discover the history of the Scots-Irish and African-Americans through preserved buildings and living history experiences of the Brattonsville community.

The 2nd Virginia regiment charges the British at Hobkirk Hill
Battlefield
Hobkirk Hill

620 Greene Street
Camden, SC 29020

Patriot Leader Nathanael Greene Is repulsed but not defeated in his campaign to chase the British from the South Carolina backcountry

Pickens Home on Hopewell Plantation
Historic Site | Historic House
Hopewell Plantation

101 Hopewell Road
Clemson, SC 29631

Located near the famous Treaty of Hopewell site, the Hopewell Plantation house was the Pickens' family home and later served as the South Carolina Governor's Mansion.

Historic Site | Historic House
Hopsewee Plantation

494 Hopsewee Rd.
Georgetown, SC 29440

Built circa 1740, Hopsewee Plantation was one of the South’s major rice plantations and the birthplace of Thomas Lynch, Jr., one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Image of a historical marker sign denoting Huck's Defeat
Battlefield
Huck's Defeat

1444 Brattonsville Rd
McConnells, SC 29726

Huck’s Defeat occurred on July 12, 1780. The battleground is on the site of Historic Brattonsville, a former colonial plantation.

Historic Site | Historic House
Kershaw-Cornwallis House

212 Broad Street
Camden, SC 29020

After the Siege of Charleston in 1780, the British established a headquarters at the Kershaw/Cornwallis House. Today the house and grounds are open to tours.

Image of the entrance sign to Kings Mountain National Military Park
Battlefield | National Park
Kings Mountain

2625 Park Road
Blacksburg, SC 29702

On August 16, 1780, the unexpected Patriot success at Kings Mountain infused those favoring rebellion with new confidence.

a photo of the entrance sign to Kings Mountain State Park
State/County Park | Battlefield
Kings Mountain State Park

1277 Park Rd.
Blacksburg, SC 29702

The Piedmont’s Kings Mountain State Park has miles of forested trails perfect for supreme Kings Mountain hiking, two fishing lakes, and sits adjacent to Kings Mountain National Military Park, one of many national park Revolutionary War sites.

Image of white spider lilies growing on the rocky shoals of Catawba River
State/County Park
Landsford Canal State Park

2051 Park Dr
Catawba, SC 29704

This park features the Lands Ford crossing, used during the Revolutionary War by both British and American troops under Cornwallis and Sumter before and after pivotal battles.

Limestone Springs Memorial
Historic Site
Limestone Springs Memorial

Gaffney, SC 29340

Three unknown British soldiers wounded at the nearby Battle of Cowpens died here at Limestone Springs and were buried on the land by order of Patriot Captain Vardry McBee Sr. and his wife, Hannah Echols.

Lynches Creek Massacre by Dale Watson
Historic Site
Lynches Creek Massacre

Highway 378
Gresham, SC 29546

Loyalists ambush a contingent of Patriot militia at a tavern in December of 1780, leading to a massacre

Image of a peacock sitting on a tree branch in front of a stately home
Historic Site | Gardens & Grounds
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens

3550 Ashley River Road
Charleston, SC 29414

The plantation & gardens bears witness to 350 years of American history. Learn about the Europeans who colonized South Carolina, and the enslaved people who worked in the rice fields and gardens.

State/County Park | Historic Site
Marion Square

329 Meeting Street
Charleston, SC 29403

Marion Square, named in honor of Francis Marion, is greenspace in downtown Charleston, South Carolina and features remnants of The Hornwork, a large fortification built in 1758 that played a major role in the fight for independence.

Salvador Memorial
Historic Site
Memorial of Francis Salvador

189 Coming St
Charleston, SC 29403

Francis Salvador, the first Jewish person to die in the Revolutionary War, was a London-born pioneer who moved to South Carolina in 1773. A vocal supporter of independence, he became the first Jewish person to hold political office in the state. Known as the "Southern Paul Revere," Salvador warned of attacks during the war but tragically died in an ambush in 1776 at just 29 years old, leaving behind a legacy of courage and commitment to freedom.

Image of a tree lined pond in sunshine
Historic Site | Gardens & Grounds
Mepkin

1098 Mepkin Abbey Rd
Moncks Corner, SC 29461

Former Plantation of Henry Laurens: Merchant, Slave Trader, South Carolina Statesman, and Father of Revolutionary War Soldier John Laurens.

aerial view of Middleton Place
Historic Site | Gardens & Grounds
Middleton Place

4300 Ashley River Rd
Charlestown, SC 29414

Middleton Place is America’s Oldest Landscaped Gardens and home to a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Historic Site | Historic House
Miles-Brewton House

27 King St.
Charleston, SC 29401

In 1780, after the British occupied Charleston during the American Revolutionary War, the Brewton house was used as the British headquarters for Henry Clinton.

Image of tourists learning to fire a canon from costumed re-enactors
Battlefield | Historic Site
Moncks Corner

Moncks Corner, SC 29461

Eighteenth-century Moncks Corner was a crossroads settlement of stores and taverns at the intersection of the Cherokee Path (the Indian traders’ path) and the road from Charleston to Santee. A powder magazine was established in 1760 and the village was occupied as a store depot by the British during the Revolutionary War.

An image of Musgrove Mill Battlefield
Battlefield | State/County Park
Musgrove Mill

398 State Park Rd
Clinton, SC 29325

The site of the 1780 battle of Musgrove’s Mill where a small force of Patriot militia fought and defeated a larger force of Loyalist and Provincial soldiers in a short but pivotal battle.

Image of a cannon and the Star Fort at Ninety Six Battlefield
Battlefield | National Park
Ninety Six

1103 Highway 248 S
Ninety Six, SC 29666

The site of the 1775 Battle of Williamson's Fort and a critical outpost for the British after they captured Charleston in 1780, the colonial town of Ninety Six was also the setting of a 28-day siege in 1781. Here, Nathanael Greene’s Patriots attacked the heart of Loyalist commander John Cruger’s defenses — the Star Fort.

Historic Site
Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon

122 East Bay Street
Charleston, SC 29401

Completed in 1771, the Old Exchange Building is a Charleston landmark and the site of some of the most important events in South Carolina history. Over the last two and a half centuries, the building has been a commercial exchange, custom house, post office, city hall, military headquarters, and museum.

boardwalk path through marshy park
Historic Site
Old Santee Canal Park

900 Stony Landing Rd.
Moncks Corner, SC 29461

Old Santee Canal Park hosts the Berkeley County Museum and Fort Fair Lawn, where in 1780, the British attacked the Patriot army stationed at Monck’s Corner.

Image of a brown brick building, brown shutters and a brown roof
Historic Site
Old Stone Church

101 Stone Circle
Clemson, SC 29631

Nestled outside the traditional bounds of the South Carolina colony is the Presbyterian church where Andrew Pickens committed his time as an elder following the Revolution. In the adjacent cemetery lie the graves of several American soldiers who had fought by Pickens' side during the war.

Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail
National Park | Historic Site
Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail

4001 Chesnee Hwy
Gaffney, SC 29341

The 330-mile Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail traces the 1780 Kings Mountain campaign through Virginia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas via a marked motor route and 87 miles of walkable trails.

Image of a muddy swamp surrounding by a forest
Battlefield
Ox Swamp

Clarendon County, SC 29102

Patriot Francis Marion earns his famous nickname — "The Swamp Fox”— after a futile chase by British Commander Banastre Tarleton

Francis Marion ordering the construction of defenses at Port's Ferry by Dale Watson
Battlefield
Port's Ferry

E Trinity Rd &, Kingsburg Hwy, SC
Johnsonville, SC 29555

Known as an extremely important ferry crossing in the Colonial Period, Marion fortified this ferry and frequently utilized it to quickly move his troops to lay ambushes

Rugeley's Mill by Dale Watson
Battlefield
Rugeley's Mill

2500 Flat Rock Road
Camden, SC 29020

An ingenious Patriot deception provokes a prominent Loyalist to surrender his outpost

image of two women kayaking in swampy water surrounded by trees
State/County Park
Santee State Park

251 State Park Rd.
Santee, SC 29142

Santee State Park offers biking and hiking trails and pontoon boat tours of the flooded cypress forest on Lake Marion, named after Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion, the “Swamp Fox”.

Battlefield | Historic Site
Siege of Charleston

329 Meeting Street
Charleston, SC 29403

As part of their Southern Campaign, the British set their sights on taking the vital port of Charleston.

Francis Marion on Snow's Island by Dale Watson
State/County Park
Snow's Island

Dunham Bluff Road
Gresham, SC 29546

Located along the Great Pee Dee River, Snow's Island served as Francis Marion's favorite refuge for his militia in the swamps of South Carolina

South Carolina Historical Society Museum
Historic Site | Museum
South Carolina Historical Society Museum

South Carolina Historical Society Museum
100 Meeting St.
Charleston, SC 29401

An architectural treasure in its own right, the South Carolina Historical Society Museum is housed in a National Historic Landmark building and features interactive exhibits on the people, places, and movements that shaped the state and nation.

Image of a historical marker denoting the Battle of Stono Ferry
Battlefield
Stono Ferry

4812 Stono Links Dr
Hollywood, SC 29449

The Patriots launch a misguided attack on British troops retreating from an aborted raid on Charleston

Black sign on a white brick wall with the title of Battle of Tearcoat
Battlefield
Tearcoat Swamp

Turbeville, SC 29162

A surprise Patriot attack on Loyalist recruits is a blow to the British

Historic Site
The Powder Magazine

79 Cumberland Street
Charleston, SC 29401

Completed in 1713, The Powder Magazine is South Carolina's oldest government building.

image of bridge over a river with trees and blue sky in the background
Battlefield
Wadboo Bridge

1432 SC-402
Moncks Corner, SC 29461

The Patriots Take Provisions and Prisoners in a Surprise Attack on a British Supply Depot.

Image of a large colonial house partially hidden by pine trees
Historic Site | Historic House
Walnut Grove Plantation

1200 Otts Shoals Rd.
Roebuck, SC 29376

Established in 1767 by the Patriot supporting Moore family. Local militia gathered at Walnut Grove prior to the Battle of Cowpens. Visitors may take guided tours of the house and grounds.

Image of the entrance memorial sign and flags denoting Buford Massacre 1780
Battlefield
Waxhaws

262 Rocky River Rd
Lancaster, SC 29720

On May 29, 1780, British commander Banastre Tarleton engaged and overwhelmed a Patriot force under the command of Abraham Buford in a dreadful defeat for the Patriots.

State/County Park | Historic Site
White Point Garden

2 Murray Blvd.
Charleston, SC 29401

The White Point Garden offers incredible views that span across the Ashley and Cooper Rivers. Fort Sumter, Castle Pinckney, and the Sullivan Island Lighthouse can all be spotted in the distance. The Defenders of Fort Moultrie, a monument honoring South Carolinian soldiers during the Battle of Sullivan's Island is centrally located.

Equestrian statue of Francis Marion at Witherspoon's Ferry/Odell Venter Landing
Battlefield
Witherspoon's Ferry

Odell Venters Landing
Johnsonville, SC 29555

Once a simple ferry site, it gained prominence after Francis Marion, the "Swamp Fox," mustered the Williamsburg militia into his ranks in August of 1780

Wyboo Swamp Mural
Battlefield
Wyboo Swamp

22 State Rd S-14-141
Manning, SC 29102

Now under the man-made Lake Marion, British Lieutenant Colonel John Watson and Patriot Brigadier General Francis Marion, the “Swamp Fox,” skirmished in Wyboo Swamp near Santee Road.

South Carolina Tours Along the Trail

Explore the many guided tours of The Liberty Trail

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South Carolina
Tour
Moncks Corner, SC
South Carolina
Tour
Camden, SC
South Carolina
Tour
Summerville, SC
South Carolina Storytellers
Exploring the history and stories of the American Revolution.
South Carolina Videos Along The Liberty Trail
Exploring the history and stories of the American Revolution.
What's New on The Liberty Trail

Liberty Trail History Makers

The Revolutionary War was a war unlike any other — one of ideas and ideals, that shaped “the course of human events. Explore the history and personalities from this pivotal time in American history.
Biography

Thomas Carney was an African American soldier who fought in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.

Biography

Colonel Henry Rugeley was a prominent South Carolina Tory who earned a commission in the British army after the siege of Charleston in 1780.

Biography

When British forces besieged Charleston, Lincoln was forced to surrender over 5,000 men. Denied honors of war in surrender, Lincoln was paroled and returned to Washington’s army. After the Battle of Yorktown, Lincoln accepted the surrender from the British, allowing him to have revenge for his defeat in Charleston.

Biography

Morgan’s main adversary was British Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton. Tarleton and Morgan’s forces faced each other at Cowpens in South Carolina on January 17, 1781. Morgan emerged victorious and secured his reputation as a skilled military tactician.