| Battle of Camden |
| Part of the American Revolutionary War |
|
|
| 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 |
|
|
|
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
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
References
External Links
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