The War Begins: The South Carolina Snow Campaign

Join us on November 22 for a commemoration of the Snow Campaign of 1775.  Colonel Richard Richardson gathered patriot forces from across the Carolinas to march into the South Carolina backcountry to suppress those loyal to the King.  Known as the Snow Campaign due to the heavy snowfall the militia encountered that December, this was the first major military operation in South Carolina. On December 22, patriots won the Battle of the Great Cane Brake and quelled loyalists’ activities for three years.

The Revolutionary War Visitor Center hosts this 250th anniversary event. Our program features a teenager telling his mother why he is leaving home to fight for freedom and a dialogue between a patriot and a loyalist as they defend their choices to support the rebellion or remain loyal to King George III. Historian Durant Ashmore will interpret the participants, routes, and events of the Snow Campaign. Finally, the audience will experience the campaign through the eyes and ears of Richard Richardson and Camden’s Joseph Kershaw. Afterwards, Historic Camden’s Colonial Village will come alive with demonstrations of colonial life.