Camden, South Carolina, is the oldest inland city in the state. Two Revolutionary War Battles occurred here. Some also believe that Camden was built upon the site of the chiefdom of Cofitachequi, which was founded in AD 1300 and encountered by the Hernando de Soto expedition in April 1540.
The area is home to another legend dating to the second Battle of Camden on Hobkirk’s Hill on April 25, 1781 (I believe this is a story from Tally Johnson’s Ghosts of the Pee Dee book). During the battle, a cannon decapitated a soldier on horseback, and his horse ran into the Black River Swamp.
No one knows his identity, but his ghost is said to haunt the battlefield. The headless horseman is often seen during a full moon, emerging from the swamp and riding across the battlefield.
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.
Image: PMG-SC
