The Battle of Hanging Rock occurred on August 6, 1780, as part of a Patriot drive to reclaim the southern colonies after the siege of Charleston, South Carolina. The Americans attacked the minimally defended British outpost at Hanging Rock, South Carolina, hoping to dislodge the British from the South.
How It Ended
Although the Americans withdrew, Hanging Rock is considered a Patriot victory. While the American forces suffered more casualties, The victory at Hanging Rock served to further embolden Patriot efforts to dislodge the British in the south.
In Context
Following the fall of Charleston in May 1780, the British established a number of outposts with the intention of restoring Royal authority over South Carolina’s population and resources. While the British sought to consolidate their gains, Patriot forces worked to weaken the enemy’s hold on the South. Confident that the British would be unable to quickly assemble a substantial number of troops to adequately defend any one outpost, General Thomas Sumter proposed small, calculated attacks on the British outposts. His ultimate goal: make it undesirable and unsustainable to remain at key strategic locations along the Santee and Wateree Rivers. One of these locations was at Hanging Rock – a crossroads between Camden, South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina.
