Battle of Camden

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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

2,000
(1,500 regulars, 500 militia)

3,000
(1,500 militia, 1,500 regulars)

Casualties

68 killed,
245 wounded,
11 Missing

1,000 killed or wounded,
1,000 captured

Southern theater, 1775–82
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 – 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 Lord Charles 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.

1 Battle
2 Aftermath
3 British Regiments
4 American Regiments
5 British Order of Battle
6 American Order of Battle
7 The Battle on Film
8 See also
9 References
10 External links

Battle

In January 1780, Henry Clinton having taken over as commander in chief in North America, took an army and captured Charleston, South Carolina. Clinton returned to New York and gave Charles Earl 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 Regiment of Foot. On the Left was Lord Rawdon with the Irish Volunteers, Banastre 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 Mordecai Gist, Johann de Kalb's 2nd Maryland and a Delaware Regiment, his centre under the command of Richard Caswell of North Carolina militia and his right under Stevens of the Virginia militia. William Smallwood commanded the reserve of the 1st Maryland Regiment. Gates ordered forward his left flank of militia, to attack the opposing British units. As the militia approached, they were met by a destructive counter-volley from the Grenadier and Light infantry regiments. These regiments then charged and Gates' inexperienced militia, largely without bayonets fled the field, with Gates not far behind. The British wheeled round and outflanked the Americans. 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. Cornwallis had Johann de Kalb watched by his own personal doctor. Even after all the effort de Kalb died three days later. Cornwallis had him buried at the battlefield.

Aftermath

Gates lost control of the southern army due to his cowardice. General Nathanael Greene, standing next to George Washington as the most able and trusted Colonial officer of the Revolution, was given Gates's 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 2000 movie The Patriot Ben and Gabriel Martin are seen watching a similar battle. Ben comments at Gates stupidity at fighting "muzzle to muzzle with Redcoats". There are some historical inaccuracies, including too many Continentals compared to militia, and that the militia retreated long before the most of Continentals did, but in the movie the Continentals and the militia retreated at the same time.