Greene Attacks

Manmade Lake Marion, which changed the view today, did not exist in Revolutionary War times. A steep-banked creek that fed Eutaw Springs bordered the British camp on the north, directly ahead of you. The site was covered in shady woods, save for fields around a two-story brick mansion with a walled garden, which stood to your right. British tents were erected in cleared land to the south and west of the house.
The battle began with heavy gunfire booming through the woods. Major General Nathanael Greene’s militia, often outmatched in the open field, fought well, but eventually fell back, opening a gap in the field. To plug the hole, Greene committed Continental troops from North Carolina. British Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Stewart countered by launching a bayonet charge. The North Carolinians stubbornly gave ground and eventually brought the British to a halt. Sensing an opportunity, Greene ordered in the veterans of Camden, Cowpens, and Guilford Courthouse – the Maryland and Viriginia Continentals.
Terrifying see-saw volleys between the clashing armies deteriorated into hand-to-hand combat under a sweltering sun. Both sides fought with bayonets and swords until the British line finally broke allowing some of the Patriots to rush into the recently abandoned British camp. There, Greene’s line lost its momentum among the tangled tents. The Patriot officers tried to restore order. Many of the troops may have mistakenly believed the British had been routed and the battle was already won, and the delay in the camp likely cost Greene a decisive tactical victory.