Battle of Camden |
British Gain Momentum in the Southern TheaterIn 1780, the British had shifted their military strategies to focus on the southern colonies. Under Generals Clinton and Cornwallis, the British Army had easily taken the Loyalist stronghold of Savannah and had recently captured Charleston and over 5,000 Patriot soldiers. Horatio Gates in Command for the PatriotsIn late July of 1780, the Continental Congress voted to give command of a second southern army to Horatio Gates, the hero of the Battle of Saratoga. This action was taken without the consent of Commander-in-Chief George Washington, whom many believed Gates aimed to supplant. Buoyed with confidence in himself and the Continental soldiers after the Battle of Saratoga, Gates outfitted his army near Charlotte, North Carolina, and ordered the ragtag bunch made of Continental soldiers and militia to march toward British lines in South Carolina. Of his 4,000 soldiers, at least half were ravaged by disease or exhaustion, rendering them unfit for service. Others had little or no military experience. Soon, British General Charles Cornwallis received word of Gates's movements and marched more than 2,000 troops from Charleston toward Gates. The armies met just after dawn on August 16, 1780. British troops inflicted heavy casualties on the Patriot right flank with their volleys before advancing with a bayonet charge. The Patriots, who lacked bayonets, immediately fled. The first retreat became contagious as other portions of Gates's army began to flee before Gates himself fled from the battleground. Soon, the entire Patriot army fled. The battle resulted in total devastation for the Patriot southern army as over a thousand were captured and 900 were killed or wounded. The army's artillery and baggage train were also captured. Patriot operations in the Southern Theater were utterly crippled. Disaster!The stunning defeat at Camden permanently marred the reputation of Horatio Gates. He was soon replaced by Nathanael Greene, who would lead the resurgence of the Southern Army. In 1780, the British focused their efforts on the southern colonies. Led by Generals Clinton and Cornwallis, they easily captured Savannah, a Loyalist stronghold, and later took Charleston, along with over 5,000 American soldiers. Horatio Gates Takes CommandIn July 1780, Congress gave Horatio Gates command of a new southern army. Gates was famous for his win at Saratoga, but this decision was made without George Washington’s approval. Confident from his past success, Gates gathered troops near Charlotte, North Carolina, and marched toward the British in South Carolina. However, many of his 4,000 soldiers were sick, exhausted, or inexperienced. The Battle of CamdenBritish General Cornwallis heard about Gates’s movement and marched 2,000 troops to meet him. The two armies clashed early on August 16, 1780. The British hit the Patriot right side with gunfire, then attacked with bayonets. Since many of Gates’s men didn’t have bayonets, they quickly fled. The panic spread, and soon the entire army ran. Gates also fled the field. More than 1,000 Patriots were captured, and 900 were killed or wounded. The British also took their weapons and supplies. A Crushing DefeatThe loss at Camden was a disaster and ruined Gates’s reputation. He was soon replaced by Nathanael Greene, who would later lead the Southern Army to a comeback. |
