During the final phases of the siege of
Charleston, Clinton summoned Rawdon and
his regiment south. There he served under
Gen. Charles Cornwallisfollowing Clinton’s
departure and accompanied the advance in-
land. Rawdon performed extremely well at
the August 16, 1780, Battle of Camden, which
witnessed the annihilation of American forces
under Gen. Horatio Gates. However, after the
fateful engagements of King’s Mountain and
Cowpens, in which Patrick Fergusonwas
killed and Banastre Tarletondefeated, plus
his own costly victory at Guilford Court-
house, Cornwallis decided to abandon the
Carolinas and invade Virginia. Before leaving,
he elevated Rawdon to brigadier general in
January 1781, placing him in command of the
remaining British outposts throughout South
Carolina. He thus acquired his first indepen-
dent command at the age of 26.
With Cornwallis headed for Virginia, Amer-
ican Gen. Nathaniel Greene opted to invade
South Carolina for the purpose of mopping up
the scattered chain of British enclaves dotting
the countryside. By April 1781, Greene had
advanced to within a few miles of Rawdon’s
main base at Camden. He intended to attack
and drive the British back to Charleston,
thereby freeing more of the state’s interior
from enemy control. At that time, Greene’s
army consisted of 1,500 Continentals, militia,
some artillery, as well as a squadron of dra-
goons under Col. William Washington. These
he arrayed in battle position along a low,
sandy elevation called Hobkirk’s Hill, await-
ing supplies and reinforcements. However,
when Rawdon learned of Greene’s intentions
on April 25, 1781, he immediately decided
upon a preemptive strike of his own. Scraping
together roughly 900 men, including a detach-
ment of walking convalescents, he marched
rapidly to engage the enemy. Rawdon’s ad-
vance caught the Americans off-guard, but
Greene—with his men already deployed in
battle positions—launched a counterattack of
his own. Rawdon’s British forces were ad-
vancing on a relatively narrow front, so he
sent his regulars forward to envelop them on
both flanks. Furthermore, Washington’s dra-
goons were dispatched on a wide circuit
around the British to attack from behind.
Greene’s rather complicated plan immedi-
ately went awry. By deft movements, Rawdon
extended his line outward so that it was the
Americans who were outflanked. A stiff mus-
ketry duel ensued for several minutes when,
inexplicably, the veteran First Maryland Regi-
ment suddenly retired in disorder. Confusion
then spread down the American ranks, and
Greene’s veterans began retreating without
orders. Seizing the moment, Rawdon charged
the entire line and nearly captured the Ameri-
can cannons. They were saved only by a vi-
cious melee that Greene himself directed. At
length the Americans gave up more ground
and abandoned the position to the victorious
young officer. British losses were 38 killed
and 220 wounded and missing, to an Ameri-
can tally of 25 killed, 108 wounded, and 136
missing. However, Rawdon could ill afford
such attrition, whereas the Americans could
easily recoup their losses. Returning in tri-
umph, Rawdon abandoned Camden and
marched to Charleston; he ordered other ad-
vanced outposts to do the same. Greene, by
default, had lost another battle yet achieved
his strategic goal.
By July 1781, Rawdon was beset by illness
and decided to return home. Before doing so
he incurred enmity by ordering the execution
of South Carolina militiaman Isaac Hayne.
Hayne, who had been captured, was placed
on parole and ordered not to participate in
further fighting. When the British were driven
out from most of the state, he reasoned that
his parole was no longer applicable, and he
rejoined the militia under Col. William
Harden. However, on July 8, 1781, Hayne was
recaptured and brought before Rawdon. That
officer conducted a court of inquiry that sen-
tenced Hayne to death for violating his parole.
Rawdon was on very thin ground legally, but
he wanted to send a stiff warning to other
paroled rebels. Accordingly, after numerous
appeals, Hayne was taken to the gallows and
executed on August 4, 1781. The act producedRAWDON-HASTINGS, FRANCIS