Kershaw County
| Kershaw County, South Carolina | |
|---|---|
Kershaw County, South Carolina, original courthouse in Camden by Robert Mills built about 1827, now home of the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center
|
|
 Location in the U.S. state of South Carolina |
|
 South Carolina's location in the U.S. |
|
| Founded | 1791 |
| Named for | Joseph Kershaw |
| Seat | Camden |
| Largest city | Camden |
| Area | |
| • Total | 740 sq mi (1,917 km2) |
| • Land | 727 sq mi (1,883 km2) |
| • Water | 14 sq mi (36 km2), 1.9% |
| Population (est.) | |
| • (2015) | 63,603 |
| • Density | 85/sq mi (33/km²) |
| Congressional district | 5th |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Website | www |
Kershaw County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2010 census, its population was 61,697. Its county seat is Camden. The county was created in 1791.
Kershaw County is part of the Columbia, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Kershaw County was named for Joseph Kershaw (1727-1791), an early settler. Originally part of Camden District, Kershaw County was formed in 1791 from parts of Claremont, Lancaster, Fairfield, and Richland counties. The county seat is Camden, the oldest inland city in South Carolina. This site was settled around 1732 by English traders and farmers who moved inland from Charleston.
During the American Revolutionary War, the British occupied Camden from June 1780 to May 1781. Fourteen battles took place in the area, including the Battle of Camden (August 16, 1780) and the Battle of Hobkirk's Hill (April 25, 1781).
Kershaw County has a rich military history, producing several notable soldiers. The county produced six men who served in the American Civil War as Confederate generals: Joseph Brevard Kershaw (1822-1894), James Chesnut (1815-1885), James Cantey (1818-1873), Zachariah C. Deas (1819-1882), John Bordenave Villepigue (1830-1862), and John Doby Kennedy (1840-1896). Confederate soldier, and hero at the Battle of Fredericksburg, Richard Rowland Kirkland was also from Kershaw County, and served under General Kershaw. Union troops under Gen. William T. Sherman burned parts of Camden in February 1865.
...
Wikipedia