Near Camden in Kershaw County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

The Road to Battle

Photographed By Anna Inbody, October 2, 2011

1. The Road to Battle Marker

Inscription. See that flat depression in the ground? That’s the surviving imprint of the Great Wagon Road, a route used by thousands of settlers from the 1740s to the early 1800s.

The road began in Philadelphia, carrying Quakers, Germans, Scots-Irish and Moravians westward and then down the Shenandoah Valley and across North Carolina.

In South Carolina, it divided into an eastern fork that passed through Camden and a western fork that continued into Georgia.

It was the interstate highway of its day, and in August 1780, the Great Wagon Road led to battle as two armies unwittingly converged here on a moonlit night.

Erected by The Palmetto Conservation Foundation. (Marker Number 1.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Revolutionary. In addition, it is included in the Quakerism series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1780.

Location. 34° 21.416′ N, 80° 36.577′ W. Marker is near Camden, South Carolina, in Kershaw County. Marker can be reached from Flat Rock Road (State Highway 58). 6.2 miles North of Camden off US 521 and 601 on SC 58. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Camden SC 29020, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Contest with the Continentals (within shouting distance of this marker); Panic and Valor

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(within shouting distance of this marker); The Armies March to Camden (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Revolutionary War Patriots (about 300 feet away in South carolina); Defeat in the Center (about 300 feet away); Battle of Camden (about 300 feet away); Baron DeKalb (about 300 feet away); Meet the American Army of 1780 (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Camden.

More about this marker. This marker is part of an interpretive trail series at the Battle of Camden National Historic Landmark

Photographed By Anna Inbody, October 2, 2011

2. Overview

Picture on the marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Anna Inbody, October 2, 2011

3. Picture on the marker

A century before the Oregon Trail carried Americans westward, the Great Wagon Road led the way to expanded settlement across the southern frontier. The road began as a Native American trading route; locally it was known as the Catawba Path.

Right side picture image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Anna Inbody, October 2, 2011

4. Right side picture

During the Revolution, this area was “piney woods,” generally free of underbrush, which allowed the infantry and cavalry to march among the tall longleaf pines.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on October 9, 2011, by Anna Inbody of Columbia, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 658 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 9, 2011, by Anna Inbody of Columbia, South Carolina. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.