Battle of Camden

 

Battle of Camden Part of the American Revolutionary War Date August 16, 1780 Location Camden, South Carolina Result Decisive British victory Combatants Britain United States Commanders Charles Cornwallis Banastre Tarleton Lord Rawdon Horatio Gates Johann de Kalb† Strength 2,179 (1,562 regulars, 617 militia) 3,052 (1,652 militia, 1,400 regulars) Casualties 68 killed, 245 wounded, 11 Missing 1,000 killed or wounded, 1,000 captured

Southern theater, 1775–83 Gunpowder Incident – Great Bridge – Moore's Creek Bridge – Rice Boats – Alligator Bridge – Beaufort – Kettle Creek – Briar Creek – Stono Ferry – Savannah – Waxhaws – Charleston – Camden – Kings Mountain – Battle of Cowpens – Guilford Court House – Hobkirk's Hill – Green Spring – Eutaw Springs – Yorktown

The Battle of Camden was an important battle in the Southern theatre of the American Revolutionary War. On August 16, 1780, British forces under Lieutenant General James Cornwallis routed the American forces of Major General Horatio Gates about six miles (10 km) north of Camden, South Carolina, strengthening the British hold on the Carolinas.

Battle

In January 1780, Clinton having taken over as commander in chief in North America took an army and captured Charleston. Clinton returned to New York and gave Cornwallis the task of capturing the rest of the Carolinas.

In July an American army under Horatio Gates had advanced from the north and was seriously threatening the British in South Carolina. The British were commanded at Camden by Lord Rawdon, who advanced out to meet Gates. On Gates' approach, Rawdon fell back to Camden. On 14 August, Cornwallis joined his troops in Camden with a determination to push Gates out of the Carolinas.

Cornwallis formed his army in two brigades, with Colonel Webster on the right with the Light Infantry, 23rd Royal Welch Fusiliers and the 33rd Foot. On the Left was Lord Rawdon with the Irish Volunteers, Tarleton's Infantry and some provincial units. Two battalions of Frasers 71st Highlanders formed the reserve.

Gates advanced with his army with the regiments of the Continental Army on the right under Gist, Kalb's 2nd Maryland and a Delaware Regiment, his centre under the command of Caswell of North Carolina militia and his right under Stevens of the Virginia militia. Smallwood commanded the reserve of the 1st Maryland Regiment.

As the battle erupted, the British Grenadier regiments on the right fired a destructive counter-volley into the American militia and Gates' inexperienced militia fled the field. With Gates not far behind. The British wheeled round and outflanked the Americans. Johann de Kalb and the Continentals under his command stayed to fight. Johann de Kalb sustained eleven sword, bullet, and bayonet wounds. Finally, he collapsed. His loyal troops formed a circle around him and fought bravly. After a while American lines began to crumble. Utterly defeated, the remainder of the army abandoned the battlefield, pursued by Tarleton's cavalry for some 20 miles.

Gates was said to have fled with the first of the militia to be routed from the field. Casualties for the British had not been heavy. The Americans, however, lost over two thirds of their force in the battle, and all of the baggage had been captured along with the Continental artillery train. The battle accounted for the bloodiest defeat of either side during the conflict.

It should be noted that Cornwallis had de Kalb watched be his own personal docter. Even after all the effort de Kalb died three days later. Cornwallis had him buried at the battle field.

Aftermath

Gates lost control of the southern army due to his cowardnesses. General Nathanael Greene, standing next to George Washington as the ablest and most trusted officer of the Revolution, was given Gates command of the southern army and started recruiting additional troops.

British Regiments

23rd Foot, the Royal Welch Fusiliers

33rd Foot, now the Duke of Wellington's Regiment

Two battalions of Fraser's 71st Highlanders

Lord Rawdon's Irish Volunteers

Tarleton's Legion

Loyalist Militia

American Regiments

1st Maryland Regiment

2nd Maryland Regiment

Delaware Regiment

North Carolina Militia

Virginia Militia

British Order of Battle

Overall Command: Lord Charles Cornwallis

Right Brigade:

Commanding Officer: Colonel Webster

• Light Infantry
• 23rd Foot
• 33rd Foot
• 2 artillery guns

Left Brigade:

Commanding Officer: Lord Rawdon

• Irish Volunteers
• Tarleton's Legion
• Loyalist Militia
• 2 artillery guns

Reserve:

Commanding Officer: Fraser

• Two battalions of 71st Highlanders

American Order of Battle

Overall Command: Horatio Gates

Right Flank:

Commanding Officer: Gist

• 2nd Maryland Regiment
• Delaware Regiment
• 3 artillery guns

Centre Flank:

Commanding Officer: Caswell

• North Carolina Militia
• 2 artillery guns

Left Flank:

Commanding Officer: Stevens

• Virginia Militia

Reserve:

Commanding Officer: Smallwood

• 1st Maryland
• 2 artillery guns

The Battle on Film

In the movie The Patriot (2000 film) Ben and Gabriel Martin are seen watching the battle in dismay. Ben comments at Gates stupidity at fighting "muzzel to muzzel with Redcoats". There are a couple of historic inaccuraccy's of course. Some include: too many Continentals compared to miltia. In real life the miltia retreated long before the most of Continentals did, but in the movie the Continentals and the militia retreated at the same time.

See also

• 1st Delaware Regiment
• 5th Maryland Regiment

References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

External Links

• Battle Commemoration website
• Portrait of Horatio Gates
• Portrait of Baron DeKalb
• Portrait of John Edgar Howard
• Portrait of William Smallwood
• Portrait of William Washington
• Portrait of Otho Williams

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