SC, USA
Greene Enters Charleston
December 14, 1782
Nathanael Greene led the remnants of the Continental Army into Charleston as the British fleet departed. The army that entered the city was barely recognizable as the force that had been fighting for two years in the Carolina backcountry — starved of supplies, unpaid, and wearing whatever clothing they had managed to acquire. Greene had fought a campaign that won South Carolina back without winning a single tactical battle, a strategic achievement that most military historians rank among the most sophisticated of the entire war.
People Involved
Rhode Island general who commanded the American forces at Hobkirk's Hill. His tactical plan was disrupted by a Maryland regiment's collapse and he ordered a retreat, technically losing the battle. Within two weeks the British had abandoned Camden, demonstrating that tactical defeat and strategic victory are not always the same thing.