Revolutionary War “Gaol” Site Acquired for Permanent Protection

January 24, 2024

Battle of Hobkirk Hill property housed Andrew Jackson

Camden Goal property—a large grassy field—Robert Mills Courthouse in the background .

Camden, S.C. – January 18, 2024 – The Liberty Trail, a joint project of American Battlefield Trust and South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust, today announced the purchase and permanent protection of an intriguing and significant property in the footprint of the Revolutionary War Battle of Hobkirk Hill. Referred to as the “Gaol” property, it was the site of the first jail, built in 1771 in Camden by order of the South Carolina Commons House of Assembly. During the Battle of Hobkirk Hill, future president Andrew Jackson and his brother were held prisoner there. Legend holds that the Jackson boys bore a hole in the wooden wall to watch the Battle of Hobkirk Hill from their jail cell. The property was also the location of the north redoubt of the British fortification in Camden. When the British evacuated Camden, they burned the wooden jailhouse.

“Over the past several years, the significance of the battles in and around Camden have garnered international attention,” commented Rick Wise, interim executive director and CEO, South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust. “This particular acquisition was not only significant to the battle, but also it holds an intriguing story that helps history truly come to life for site visitors. We’re grateful for the support of our partners in this project: Kershaw County, City of Camden, South Carolina Conservation Bank, American Battlefield Protection Program of the National Park Service, the Hobkirk Hill Society, Kershaw County Historical Society, and the Hobkirk Hill Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.”

After the March 1781 Battle of Guilford Courthouse, Major General Nathanael Greene “determined to carry the war immediately into South Carolina.” The British control of the interior of South Carolina depended on their major posts in towns like Camden, Georgetown, Ninety Six, and numerous intermittent posts. Greene began his march on to Camden on April 7 and arrived on April 20. Green’s well-chosen camp was established on the crest of Hobkirk Hill.

In the ensuing battle on April 25, 1781 the Patriots lost 21 killed, 113 wounded, 47 captured, and 89 missing, suffering significantly less than the British, whose casualties were 39 killed, 210 wounded, and 12 missing, a significant loss the British could not replace. “The conflict was short and seemed once to promise us advantage, but we were obliged to retire…with no material loss. We are now within five miles of Camden and shall closely invest it in a day or two again,” Greene wrote to Francis Marion on April 26. The Battle of Hobkirk Hill was a tactical loss for Greene, but the British chose to abandon their post at Camden on May 10, resulting in a strategic victory for the Patriots.

In 2007, the National Park Service in its Report to Congress on the Historic Preservation of Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Sites in the United States ranked the Hobkirk Hill battlefield as a high priority battlefield needing protection.

“South Carolina’s Revolutionary War battlefields are remarkable resources,” said American Battlefield Trust President David Duncan. “Long overshadowed by other historical narratives, their significance to the war’s outcome is at last being understood and appreciated. By acting now to protect them, we ensure that the remain for future generations to enjoy and learn from.”

The purchase of this property was made possible through grants from the National Park Service, South Carolina Conservation Bank, and generous private donors.

“As South Carolina grows and welcomes new residents from around the world, the protection and interpretation of historic sites becomes increasingly important. Once these sites are lost, gone too are the stories they hold,” remarked Raleigh West, executive director, South Carolina Conservation Bank. “The Bank is honored to provide critical funding to protect properties that directly enrich the lives of every South Carolinian.”

The Liberty Trail will install park benches and interpretive signage and open the property to the public. A conservation easement ensuring that no development will ever take place on this site will be held by the Katawba Valley Land Trust.

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About The Liberty Trail
The Liberty Trail—developed through a partnership between the American Battlefield Trust and the South Carolina Battleground Trust—connects battlefields across South Carolina and tells the captivating and inspiring stories of this transformative chapter of American history. For more information on The Liberty Trail, visit www.thelibertytrail.org.

Media Contact

Jennifer Howard

jen@stewardterra.com

843.709.4192

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Camden 9B No Longer “Unknown”

June 29, 2026

Archaeologists Dr. Steve Smith and Jim Legg worked to find artifacts to tell the story at the Camden Battlefield for over 20 years. They knew the grave was there. The final one to complete the project. Hits from metal detectors again revealed they were in the right place. The grave site was slowly excavated, and hours ran into days. As the grave opening was expanded, the revelation was solemn. Not one, not two, but a total of five soldiers in a grave only about 14 inches deep and no more than four feet wide. They were known as Camden 9A through 9E. Continental USA buttons and other artifacts proved which side they were on. Forensic Anthropologists, Dr. Madeline Atwell and Dr. Bill Stevens meticulously worked to recover the remains, which were removed to the Richland County Coroner’s office. More forensics study was done, and the potential for DNA evidence was contemplated. The late Doug Bostick, Executive Director/CEO of the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust, started this amazing journey. His concept to protect and preserve soldiers from graves that were threatened by erosion and other hazards led to the project in the Fall of 2022. The initial plan was to excavate six grave sites. Ultimately, eight grave sites were found and excavated, revealing 14 soldiers. Each was unknown. Artifacts showed the army for which they fought. Possible brigade-sized units were surmised from the location of their graves on the battlefield. They were honored in April 2023 at Bethesda Presbyterian Church in Camden, and at the battlefield where about 400 of their comrades in arms still lie in shallow, unmarked graves. The Continentals now lie at rest in the Presbyterian Burial Grounds, managed by the historic Quaker Cemetery in Camden. And beneath the marble headstones marked “Unknown,” they waited. The Historic Camden Foundation, under Cary Briggs and Stacey Ferguson, led the efforts to determine whether the DNA could possibly be used to determine the identity of any of the recovered soldiers. They contracted Allison Peacock of FHD Forensics and her team to work their genetic and genealogy magic. And it worked. An identity was proven, and an anxious family awaited the official word. And when the word did come, the team effort that made this possible coalesced for the next step in the journey: Rick Wise traveled to Maryland to tell the descendants about their ancestor’s steps and sacrifice during the Revolutionary War. In an emotional address to the family, Wise emphasized the gravity of the moment, noting that it was the first time in nearly 246 years that his name, Private John Pumphrey, was spoken out loud for his relatives to hear his name. Tears flowed from relatives as Wise detailed the harrowing experiences of Pumphrey and the Maryland troops, who marched on battlefields and sites that echo with history: Brandywine, Germantown, Valley Forge, Monmouth Courthouse, and Camden. Wise illustrated their courage in how Pumphrey and his comrades held the line against overwhelming odds at Camden . He characterized their actions as selfless sacrifice, intended to secure the freedoms enjoyed not by themselves, but by generations of Americans, including ours today. The successful DNA identification of Private Pumphrey is a crucial breakthrough, allowing historians and the family to trace his specific journey to the Battle of Camden . Private John Pumphrey is representative of all those who remain in shallow, unmarked graves across the hallowed grounds of the Camden Battlefield. As we approach the 250th Anniversary of America and the Declaration of Independence, let us say a prayer for our first Veterans, who lie in hallowed grounds across our original 13 colonies, who gave their all for a new nation not yet realized, the United States of America.

Memorial Day: 250 Years After the American Revolution

May 25, 2026

Memorial Day calls us to honor those who did not come home to celebratory ceremonies and flags, but gave their lives to a nation that we must work to make worthy of their sacrifice.

Hobkirk Hill Battlefield Park ribbon cutting

Celebrating the opening of the Hobkirk Hill Battlefield Park

By jen • May 21, 2026

The South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust was honored to join the American Battlefield Trust, South Carolina American Revolution Sestercentennial Commission (SC250), and the City of Camden on May 18 for the official opening of Hobkirk Hill Battlefield Park in Camden,.