Road to Camden: The Southern War of the American Revolution

On June 18, 1778, British Commander-in-Chief Lieutenant General Henry Clinton vacated Philadelphia and marched his army across New Jersey. General George Washington’s Army pursued at a cautious distance and attacked ten days later at the Battle of Monmouth, June 28, 1778. Clinton retreated before hostilities could begin anew the next day and bottled himself up in New York City. There he remained for England had decided to change course. They would suspend major actions in the north and transfer their offensive war to the southern colonies. Though the fight to keep the thirteen American colonies within England’s realm was important, it was not at the peak of British priorities. The British West Indies brought in far more revenue than the colonies and that regions’ protection came before the desire to reign in America’s revolt. France had entered the war and England’s holdings in the West Indies were in jeopardy by a powerful French fleet. The British government became determined not to commit substantial new forces in an expensive land engagement in the colonies when they might be met with fresh challenges elsewhere, particularly in the Caribbean. General Clinton had to relinquish ships and troops, as much as 5,000 of his command, to the West Indies, limiting his ability to strike Washington’s army. Also, the loyalists in the northern colonies were not as actively organized nor ready to battle the patriots as the Tories had proven in the south. A relentless civil war raged throughout Georgia to Virginia and the British government meant to capitalize on it by directly aiding those southerners loyal to the crown.

This new strategy that emerged had political appeal in England. The American war could continue, without any additional drain on British manpower and it supported the moral argument expounded by government ministers for continuing the war – that not to do so would be a betrayal to the loyalist majority in America who desired to be rid of the tyrannical yoke tightened by the radical rebel minority. General James Robertson spoke for the government when he stated, “the object of the war was to enable the loyal subjects of America to get free from the tyranny of the rebels, and to let the country follow its inclination, by returning to the King’s government.” Lord George Germain, Secretary of State to the colonies, speculated, “could a small corps be detached at the same time to land at Cape Fear?… it is not doubted that large numbers of the inhabitants would flock to the King’s standard, and that His Majesty’s government would be restored in that province also.” The roots of this wishful thinking could be found in correspondence by the royal governors from Georgia and South Carolina who wrote, “… it appears very clear to us, that if a proper number of troops were in possession of Charleston… or if they were to possess themselves of the back country thro’ Georgia, and to leave a garrison in the town of Savannah, the whole inhabitants in both Provinces would soon come in and submit…” Therefore plans were adopted to maintain a presence in the north while transferring troops to subjugate the south, city by city, region by region, and province by province in a gradual advance north.

First Battle of Savannah

Savannah Georgia was targeted and Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell set sail with 3,000 troops from Sandy Hook, New Jersey on November 27, 1778. He arrived at Tybee Island at the mouth of the Savannah River, fifteen miles below the town of Savannah on December 23. American General Robert Howe opposed him with 700 Continentals and 150 militia. Howe was soundly defeated at this, the first Battle of Savannah, and the remains of his disorganized force retreated into South Carolina. British General Augustine Prevost had brought his forces up from Florida and took the town of Sunbury and Campbell claimed Augusta in early January, 1779 with little difficulty. Between the two British commanders, the state of Georgia was in almost complete subjection.

Battle of Beaufort

General Benjamin Lincoln, who had been a state militia commander at the start of the war and was present with General Horatio Gates at Saratoga in 1777, was given the command of the southern army in September, 1778. He did not at first make his presence felt in South Carolina, mainly due to lack of supplies and organization, until after the fall of Georgia. He eventually combined his forces with the remains of General Howe’s division into an army of 3,639 men, however only 1,121 were Continentals. On Feb. 3, 1779, American General William Moultrie clashed with a detachment of General Prevost’s division under Major General William Gardiner at the Battle of Beaufort, at Port Royal near the town of Beaufort. Both sides retreated, but Moultrie returned and claimed the field of battle. In this action the British received heavier casualties. It convinced General Prevost not to pursue any further attempt to press into South Carolina.

Battle of Kettle Creek

Meanwhile, the fall of Georgia aroused the Tories. They were Scotchmen who had immigrated to the south over the past couple of decades, particularly to the back country of both Georgia and South Carolina. Many joined General Campbell at Augusta and others formed large detachments of their own to rage a civil war on similar patriot formations. Often these forces would commit depredations upon the inhabitants of the country they passed through, arousing both patriot and Tory to either side of the conflict to extract revenge. Two such forces came to grips at Kettle Creek on Feb. 14, 1779.

Colonel John Boyd, a North Carolina Tory with 700 loyalists, chiefly Scotsmen, was defeated by Colonel Andrew Pickens of South Carolina who had assembled a force of militia from that state. Pickens had been pursuing Boyd’s forces and caught up with him near Kettle Creek. Pickens suddenly attacked his camp and Boyd quickly formed a defensive line. He rallied about a hundred loyalists and assaulted Pickens crude defenses. Boyd was mortally wounded and his soldiers drew back. Over the next ninety minutes the patriots were able to flank Boyd’s men now led by Major William Spurgen. The Tory line was broken and many were killed, wounded, and captured.

Battle of Brier Creek

Beaufort and Kettle Creek raised the spirits of the rebels in the same degree that the fall of Savannah did for the Tories. Militias flocked to General Lincoln’s army to the extent that he considered retaking lost territory in Georgia. British Lt. Colonel Campbell did not have the numbers to withstand a direct assault by Lincoln and decided to abandon Augusta and move towards Savannah. The Americans followed. On March 3, 1779, American General John Ashe with 1,400 North Carolina militia and 100 Georgia Continentals confronted the British Force of about 900 men at Brier creek, south of Augusta.

While the first battalion of the 71^st Highlanders attacked from the front, a considerable force was able to get behind the Americans and after volleying, charged with the bayonet. The militia, confronted with an attack from two sides, faced about and panicked, throwing aside their weapons and running without firing a shot. Many drowned in the swamps to which they tried to make their escape. The Continentals held the center, but were eventually surrounded and had to surrender. This loss stalled any possibility of the Americans recovering Georgia for the present. It did however arouse the Carolinians to the threat from British hostilities. South Carolina Governor John Rutledge called out the militia in mass and Lincoln’s army was reinforced; enough that by the end of April, 1779, with approximately 6000 men, he believed he could take the offensive against the entrenched British in Georgia.

Battle of Stono Ferry

On April 23, 1779, Lincoln crossed the Savannah River and marched towards Augusta. To counter this movement, British General Prevost crossed the Savannah River on April 29 and marched to Purrysburg, South Carolina with 2,500 men. Lt. Colonel Alexander McIntosh held the post at Purrysburg and in the face of a superior force, withdrew his men back to join General Moultrie. After several rear guard skirmishes in which Prevost pursued, Moultrie arrived at Charleston. Prevost had only planned to draw Lincoln out of Georgia, but with Moultrie retreating, he saw an opportunity to take Charleston. He pressed forward with 900 men and battled a rebel force under Polish cavalry officer Count Casimir Pulaski. He drove the Americans back.

Moultrie asked for terms of surrender, hoping to gain time for Lincoln’s main force to come up. Indeed, Prevost got word that Lincoln was approaching and quickly withdrew his detached force on May 12^th to James Island, two miles south of the town. There the British entrenched. Lincoln arrived at Charleston and ordered General Moultrie to attack Prevost’s fortified position. Moultrie has been criticized for taking only 1,200 men, mostly militia, against 900 experienced regular troops. On June 20^th, the Americans advanced in line through a dense growth of pine saplings that hindered any organized attack. General Jethro Sumner commanded the right, consisting of Carolina militiamen, and General Isaac Hugar led the left, Continental troops. The left wing met two companies of the 71^st Highlanders posted in advance of the main British line. Hard, experienced soldiers disciplined to follow orders no matter what, though greatly outnumbered, they stood firm. In a furious hand to hand battle, the Scotsmen refused to give ground until only eleven were left standing. When the American line got within three hundred yards of the British, they stopped and for the next hour exchanged fire. The Hessians gave way and the Americans advanced, but once more the rest of the 71^st stood firm and the Hessians rallied. At that stage, Moultrie got word that British reinforcements were coming from Johns Island and he thought it best to retire. The Americans faired poorly with heavy losses, mainly in missing militia who fled the field of battle. Though Prevost was not defeated, he decided to withdraw in boats to Port Royal Island within a few days and left the state.

Second Battle of Savannah

Except for small bands of Tories and patriots coming to grips, the summer of 1779 was quiet in the south. In August, the Americans sent word to French Admiral Comte d’Estaing, whose fleet was operating in the West Indies, for aide to attack Savannah. Comte d’Estaing obliged with 20 ships of the line and 6,000 troops arriving off Tybee Island at the mouth of the Savannah River on Sept. 8, 1779. British General Prevost’s force numbered 2,360 rank and file, the majority of the garrison made up of American Loyalists, emphasizing the character of the conflict in the south as a civil war. The rebel army under Lincoln had withered somewhat with many of the militia returning home; he had only 600 Continentals and 750 militia. He would be delayed and would not arrive until Sept. 16^th . However, d’Estaing refused to wait. He had already approached the garrison on the 12^th and summoned it to surrender on the 16^th. Prevost asked for time and d’Estaing granted it. This allowed Prevost an opportunity to summon Colonel John Maitland’s force of much needed British regulars to arrive from Port Royal. Comte d’Estaing was in a hurry to capture the garrison and be on his way. Word had arrived that the West Indies British fleet was approaching under Admiral John Byron. He could not wait for proper parallels to be built (parallel ditches constructed to safely bring siege cannon closer to bombard fortifications).

De Estaing fixed the time for the general attack at 4AM on the morning of October 9^th. By now Maitland’s regulars had arrived, strengthening the British lines. The assault, which saw the death of the flamboyant cavalry officer Count Pulaski, was beaten off at every point. The allies lost in killed, 16 officers and 228 men. Sixty three officers and 521 troops were wounded – a fifth of the whole engaged and about half of those in the fight at one redoubt, Spring Hill. Not since the Battle of Bunker Hill, June 17, 1775, had one side suffered such enormous casualties. The British loss was far less, 40 killed, 63 wounded, and 52 missing. Some of the experienced officers present stated afterward that it was the most severe fight they had seen in the war; a magnificent assault and expert defense. However, d’Estaing had enough. With time constraints and no stomach to pursue another attack, he pulled his forces out and shipped back to the West Indies to protect French interests. Lincoln had no choice but to march back to Charleston, South Carolina.

British Lt. General Henry Clinton Decides to Invade the South

When Lt. General Henry Clinton learned that d’Estaing and the American forces were defeated in their attempt to take Savannah and the French sailed away, leaving Georgia safely in the hands of the British, he believed the time was right to press England’s strategy and make a major play for the southern colonies. With the aid of a large southern population of loyalists under arms, he believed he could take South Carolina and move north, eventually subjugating Virginia to claim the entire south. Washington’s army had decreased drastically in strength over the past year, due to enlistments ending, lack of supplies to sustain an army, economical hardships, and the overall deteriorating support for the patriot cause. Nathanael Greene, Quartermaster General lamented, “the local policy of all the states is directly opposed to the great national plan… there is a terrible falling off in public virtue…the loss of morals and the want of public spirit leaves us almost like a rope of sand.”

Washington despaired, “if I was to be called upon to draw a picture of the times and of the men, from what I have seen, heard, and in part know, I should in one word say that idleness, dissipation, and extravagance seem to have laid fast hold of most of them…an insatiable thirst for riches seems to have got the better of every other consideration…the momentous concerns of an empire, a great and accumulated debt, ruined finances, depreciated money and want of credit (which in their consequences is the want of everything) are but secondary considerations… I am alarmed and wish to see my countrymen roused.”

Clinton sails for Charleston

Clinton believed Washington had to keep most of his troops north to counter the British at New York and could send no support to forces in the south.  In September, 1779, he ordered the 3,000 men stationed at Newport, Rhode Island to New York. This gave him 25,000 troops to draw on for an expedition to the south. On December 26, 1779, Clinton gathered ninety transports and with eight British infantry regiments, five Hessian regiments, and five corps of Tories, besides detachments of artillery and cavalry, 8,500 rank and file, he sailed for Charleston, South Carolina.  He left Hessian Commander Major General Knyphausen in charge of New York City to harass and keep Washington busy, assuring the American commander could not send troops to Lincoln’s army.

General Lincoln draws his entire force to Charleston, South Carolina

Clinton’s fleet of transports and support vessels encountered heavy gales and stormy weather, scattering his ships. Most of their horses perished and stores were badly damaged. It wasn’t until thirty days after setting sail that the ships began to arrive off Tybee Island at the mouth of the Savannah River. The fleet finally landed troops on Johns Island, thirty miles south of Charleston on February 11^th. Clinton slowly and methodically began his stranglehold on the American army under General Benjamin Lincoln. He blockaded Charleston’s harbor, seized Stono Ferry connecting Johns Island with the adjoining James Island, occupied James Island itself, then bridged the creek called Wappoo Cut that separated it from the mainland.

On March 7^th, he began to construct batteries on the west bank opposite the town. It wasn’t until March 29^th, seven weeks after landing, that his ground forces crossed the Ashley River, on the west of Charleston that occupied the southern end of a narrow peninsula, and sealed off the rebel army from the mainland. Clinton’s delay gave the Americans time to reinforce their defenses which at first was thought to be an advantage. It proved to be their undoing.

His fortifications reinforced, Lincoln believed he was strong enough to repel any assault by the enemy. With this false sense of security, he drew all his forces into the town, his entire army, crammed onto the peninsula with no real plan for escape if needed. Historians have argued that Lincoln’s choice to crowd all his forces in Charleston was a move doomed to failure which any competent military man should have foreseen. To make matters worse, Lincoln had been reinforced with 700 North Carolina Continentals under General James Hogun and 750 Virginia Continentals, the Virginia line, proven, experienced soldiers under General William Woodford (who early in the war, on Dec. 9, 1775, crushed British Lord Dunmore’s forces at the Battle of Great Bridge). Some of Washington’s finest troops, 1,400 strong, had been sent to Lincoln’s aid, soon to be lost, most for the duration of the war, and most never having fired a shot.

Charleston Under Siege

The entire southern rebel army would fall prey to Lt. General Henry Clinton and General Charles Cornwallis in a series of engagements that lasted from March 29th to May 12, 1780. Clinton continued to close in on the American defenses. He broke ground within 1,800 yards of the American defenses on the peninsula’s neck and began regular approaches by parallels to advance his seize guns. His ships tightened the noose by running past Fort Moultrie and anchored between James Island and the town, cutting off any retreat from that direction. By April 8^th, Charleston was almost completely invested. The only possible way clear for Lincoln’s army to retreat was to cross the Cooper River above Shute’s Folly to the mainland east of the river and to a position north at Monck’s Corner still held by some of the North Carolina’s Continentals under General Huger. On April 13^th, the British batteries on the neck and James Island opened up on the town. It was only then that Lincoln, for the first time, called a council of war to regard the army’s proven desperate situation and contemplate evacuating the town. General Lachlan McIntosh believed that the army should not lose a minute. That they should cross the Cooper River and press up its eastern side, thereby safely arriving at Monck’s Corner. But Lincoln just listened and dismissed his officers with a request that they give the matter more consideration and be prepared to report at their next meeting.

Lincoln would not have a chance to call upon his officers for their further advice; the last possibility of escape over the Cooper was severed when Monck’s Corner was taken by the enemy. At 3 AM, April 14^th, the day after American General McIntosh recommended an immediate evacuation, Lt. Colonel Banastre Tarleton’s loyalist legion of cavalry, along with Major Patrick Ferguson’s American Volunteers corps of riflemen, both partisan corps, struck Huger’s force. They totally routed the American camp, cutting down all resistance and capturing most of the rebel detachment. General Huger and Colonel William Washington, commander of the 3^rd Light Dragoons, barely escaped capture by fleeing into the swamps. This was the final death toll for the American army. The only action Lincoln conducted in his defense was a failed assault of 200 men using the bayonet only on the British fortifications on the neck. The British would take a small work on Haddrell’s Point on the mainland across the Cooper River and land a body of seamen and marines to take Fort Moultrie. Tarleton attacked the remains of Huger’s force at Lenud’s Ferry on the Santee River, killing and capturing 40 before dispersing the rest. By May 8^th, a sap drained the ditch across the neck and all was prepared for a general assault on Lincoln’s works.

American Army Surrenders – Largest American Force Lost in the War Including the Famed Virginia Line that had just Arrived

Lincoln was now cornered on all sides by over 14,000 British troops and sailors. He still considered options and asked for a truce while terms of surrender were discussed. By May 9^th, all of Lincoln’s requests were denied by Clinton. At 8 PM that night, hostilities were renewed with a tremendous bombardment by the British guns; nearly 200 pieces of artillery were fired simultaneously. After a horrendous night, where many houses within the city were set afire, the townsmen, who had resisted Lincoln’s surrender, petitioned for him to capitulate. At 11 AM, May 12^th, 1780, Lincoln’s army became prisoners in what was to be the greatest disaster and largest forfeiture of American forces in the war; 5,466 men (a large portion Continental Soldiers), 391 cannon, 5,916 muskets, and a huge supply of ammunition. Only a few rebel forces escaped to form the core of resistance. The surrender of the American army did not halt the violent civil war raging through the south. British cavalry officer Colonel Banastre Tarleton continued to command his legion of Tory horseman who proved humanity did not get in the way of their barbarous slaughter of their enemy. They committed uncounted atrocities upon rebels and citizenry, often killing surrendered troops in cold blood. Eventually the phrase ‘Tarleton’s quarter’ meant to accept no prisoners, killing all whether they surrendered or not.

Clinton returns to New York

Once Charleston was captured, Clinton turned his focus on the interior parts of the Carolinas. He ordered several detachments of almost wholly loyalists to the regions of South Carolina. For the next three months, through mid August, the Carolinas were subjected to furious partisan warfare. With minor use of British troops, the south became embroiled in a civil war marked by horrendous and indiscriminate violence. Once Charleston was secure and a plan in place for the subjugation of the Carolinas, Clinton returned to New York City with about a third of his original troops. He left General Cornwallis in charge of six British regiments, one Hessian, and six Tory regiments, about 8,300 rank and file. Cornwallis quickly dispersed his forces throughout the region.

British Tighten their Control of Georgia and South Carolina

Historian Christopher Ward details the British distribution of troops: Lord Rawdon, with the 23^rd and 33^rd British regiments, the Volunteers of Ireland (a Tory corps raised in Philadelphia), Tarleton’s Legion, Lt. Colonel John Hamilton’s mounted corps of Tories, and a detachment of artillery, 2,500 men in all, established a post at Camden. Major McArthur and two battalions of the 71^st Highlanders advanced to Cheraw to cover the country between Camden and Georgetown where a corps of Tories were posted. To connect Camden to the outpost at Ninety-six, Lt. Colonel George Turnbull with the New York Volunteers along with Tory militia was stationed at Rocky Mount. Three battalions of the Royal Provincials and light infantry under Lt. Colonel Nisbet Balfour held Ninety-six. Lt. Colonel Thomas Brown with his own Florida Mounted Rangers and other detachments were posted at Augusta. Major Patrick Ferguson and his American Volunteers was assigned to the country between the Catawba and the Saluda. The rest of the British troops were stationed at Charleston, Beaufort, and Savannah. From Cheraw in the far northeast, a strongly held line of posts ran across the northern part of South Carolina through Camden to Ninety-six while the seacoast remained firmly held.

The Waxhaws or Buford’s Massacre

After Lincoln’s army was captured, there were no troops left in the south to oppose the enemy. The few small bodies who were in route to aid the besieged Americans in Charleston, after the rebel surrender, retreated and melted back to their homes. The last flicker of resistance in South Carolina was soon extinguished. A regiment of 350 Virginia Continentals and a small party of Colonel Washington’s Light Dragoons had escaped the British net. General Huger ordered them to Hillsboro, North Carolina. Cornwallis got word and sent Tarleton’s Legion, 40 of the 17^th British Dragoons, and 100 mounted infantry. Buford was overtaken on May 29, 1780, at the Waxhaws, a district near the North Carolina border. Tarleton sent a flag of truth for the Americans to surrender, gaining time to prepare an attack.

In what became known as Buford’s Massacre, Tarleton made his mark forever as a commander who ordered the relentless slaughter of surrendered men. The atrocities committed against unarmed men at this action compared it to the Paoli Massacre – Sept. 20, 1777, and the Baylor Massacre – Sept. 27, 1778. The popular 2000 movie “The Patriot,” starring Mel Gibson, featured a ruthless antagonist modeled after Tarleton’s barbaric exploits.

The Battle of Ramsour’s Mill

With Georgia and South Carolina under British control, Georgia becoming the only colony during the war to establish a royal government, Cornwallis set his sights on North Carolina. Though the loyalists proclaimed their growing strength and determination, Cornwallis decided to keep his regular troops at their posts until later in the year; summer heat and scarcity of supplies having convinced him to wait. However, the Tories were restless, convinced that victory was within their grasp. In June, Tory John Moore announced himself a Lt. Colonel of Hamilton’s North Carolina Tory regiment and quickly raised a force of 1,300 men. Meanwhile the North Carolina patriots had been preparing to resist any incursion into their state. General Griffith Rutherford called on the militia. Eight hundred responded which Rutherford organized into three divisions; a body of horse and two foot battalions. Colonel Francis Locke, with 400 additional patriots was also intent on stopping his enemy from penetrating his state. Both commanders decided to attack Moore’s Tories. On June 20^th, Locke attacked first in what has been called the Battle of Ramsour’s Mill. It was a desperate hand to hand action that lasted about an hour and a half, routing Moore’s undisciplined and inexperienced militiamen. Moore was able to rally some of his men, but there was no fight left in them. He sent out a flag of truth to collect his dead and wounded. While Locke was considering it, the remains of Moore’s men ran off. Only 30 got away to join Lord Rawdon at Camden.

Battles of Mobley’s Meetinghouse, Williamson’s Plantation, & Rocky Mount

The Tories had suffered two other minor defeats; Mobley’s Meetinghouse and Williamson’s Plantation. American Colonel William Bratton and Captain John McClure, leading militia, overcame a large party of loyalists at Winnsboro. The exact date of what has been titled The Battle of Mobley’s Meetinghouse is in dispute; listings from counties, states, historical texts, including primary accounts set the date as either May 26, May 29, June 8, or June 10^th. The Tories had been raiding patriot residences and established a camp at Mobley’s Meetinghouse on a branch of the Little River in the Fairfield District of South Carolina that borders North Carolina. The rebel assault at daybreak against a blockhouse and church. Many loyalists tried to escape up a steep embankment resulting in several injuries, more so than in the fight. The loyalist’s plunder from patriots’ homes was reclaimed along with the capture of many prisoners.

Another Tory regiment was similarly dealt with near Fishing Creek at Williamson’s Plantation. On July 12^th, British Captain Christian Houk (also known as Huck), with a Tory force of around 400 men was attacked by General Thomas Sumter’s militia including Bratton and McClure’s men. Houk was shot from his horse and the rest of his force fled; many killed and wounded during the pursuit. Because of this success, patriots in the region flocked to Sumter’s banner, building his force up to nearly 600 men.

With this build up, Sumter felt emboldened to attack Lt. Col. George Turnbull’s New York Volunteers at Rocky Mount. The Battle of Rocky Mount was fought on August 1, 1780 between Sumter’s 300 patriots and Turnbull’s 600 loyalists. Turnbull was in a strong position behind three log houses, surrounded by a ditch and abatis (sharpened logs positioned in the ground to hinder an assault). Sumter attacked and was repulsed three times before withdrawing his men.

Battle of Hanging Rock

The next action to take place in the embattled region was on a larger scale which only involved partisan Tory and regional patriot forces. The Battle of Hanging Rock, twelve miles from Rocky Mount, was fought on August 6, 1780. It was a hot action between 500 loyalists and 800 patriots under Sumter. The battle lasted four hours with several charges both with the bayonet and cavalry.

The Tories were eventually driven from their camp. The patriots fell upon the supplies which included casks of rum making it difficult for Sumter to rally them to pursue the enemy. With two companies of cavalry of the British Legion coming into view, Sumter wisely retreated; his men loaded with plunder, staggered behind their commander. After this action, the stage was set for the next large scale action involving British and Continental troops, and the next near fatal defeat for all American forces in the south.

Washington Sends his Best Troops South

Earlier, in April of 1780, Washington had learned that General Clinton called for Lord Rawdon and 2,500 troops to join him in South Carolina. He decided to send his best troops south to counter Clinton’s move. He put the Maryland line and the Delaware Regiment, along with the 1^st Artillery of 18 field pieces under marching orders, 1,400 Continental soldiers of all ranks commanded by the stalwart and highly professional German commander Major General the Baron De Kalb. General De Kalb’s march south, begun on April 16^th, was hindered by a shortage of provisions including a critical deficiency of food; his men, for the most part of their grueling journey south lived constantly on the verge of starvation.

Even at the start of their journey Washington wrote on April 13^th, “How they will get on for want of provisions, transportation &ca., heaven alone can tell, I cannot.” Throughout the march, nothing had been relied upon for provisions, nothing was prepared in advance. As far as foraging, much of the country traveled was through distinct Tory districts in which the granaries and livestock were nonexistent; little if anything became available for the trudging patriot army. By June 22^nd, they arrived at Hillsboro, North Carolina. With little if anything in their stomachs, often fasting for several days, they proceeded south, carrying all their baggage and armaments on their backs. By the time they got to Buffalo Ford on Deep River, they could go no further and waited for two weeks for the promised reinforcement of North Carolina militia.

General De Kalb Sought Reinforcements

At Buffalo Ford, De Kalb found Colonel Charles Armand’s force, 120 horse and foot soldiers, Count Pulaski’s men, their former leader having died at Savannah, and placed them under his command. Major General Richard Caswell was in the field with his North Carolina militia. DeKalb called upon Caswell to join him, hoping the state would take care of its own and the militia would bring in enough food and supplies for both armies. Also Brigadier General Edward Steens, with some Virginia militiamen and a corps of about a hundred other Virginians under Lt. Colonel Charles Porterfield were in the area. Caswell and Steens did not accept DeKalb’s offer to join him, offering excuses to remain a separate command. After Lincoln was captured De Kalb, as Major General on the field, was technically in command of the southern army, however Congress was reluctant to have a foreigner hold such an important position.

The Darling of Congress, Major General Horatio Gates is Given Command of the Southern Army

Congress’ pick, over Washington’s choice of Nathanael Greene, was the hero of Saratoga and one who had many influential friends in Congress, Major General Horatio Gates. DeKalb heard of Gates appointment over himself and being a true military man, wrote on July 16^th that he was happy to hear of Gate’s coming. Gates arrived on July 25^th, overconfident and blind to the army’s depleted needs and situation at hand. Gates titled his command as the ‘Grand Army’ and began planning immediate action to take on his enemy. In reality, Gates had an army without strength, a military chest without money, the area in which they encamped was void of possible forage, the local patriots depressed, and the Tories elated by a strong British presence in the region. Instead of seeking a solution to the army’s deficiencies while taking the time needed to bring his command up to full strength, Gates was assertive. Without planning a forthright offensive, Gates decided to confront his enemy, on the most direct approach to Camden where a substantial British force was posted. He would be decisive and waste no time in attacking it. Victory was at hand.

The Desolate Route to Camden

DeKalb had suggested a more circuitous route to Camden. The army was exhausted and malnourished by the lack of provisions and long periods of scant rations and fasting. The path he advised would take the army through Rowan and Mecklenburg counties in which Salisbury and Charlotte lay, a land rich with supplies and food, inhabited by Scotch-Irish, patriots able and willing to supply hungry soldiers sent to drive the raiding Tories from their counties. An army rested and well nourished could stand well in a desperate fight against British regulars. And if a retreat from Camden was necessary, the road would lead back to Charlotte and friendly country. Gate’s proposed direct route would be fifty miles shorter, but it ran through thinly peopled and infertile pine barrens. It was a wilderness of deep sands, swamps, and multiple rivers that could become flooded in a matter of hours. The enemy had previously foraged what foods and supplies could be had and more so, it crossed Cross Creek County, a region of staunch loyalists, among the most unfriendly to patriots. Officers who knew the region and the condition of the army were mortified when Gates ordered to take the direct road. They all agreed – an army that had spent weeks traveling hundreds of miles on little or no food, did not even have half-rations, and was now expected to take the hard and hungry road while a well fed and well rested enemy waited to do battle, was simply foolhardy and cruel. The officers drafted a letter, signed by all, pointing out the advantages of the longer route, including the opportunity to pick up additional militiamen. Gates promised to call a council of officers to discuss the matter, but never did. The army marched on July 27^th towards a barren and inhospitable land with little or no food and no promise of obtaining any along the road.

Grueling and Exasperating March to Battle

Day after day the situation grew worse. Food ran out. There was none in the wagons nor could any be found in the countryside. Men lived on occasional green corn plucked from a few fields and peaches with the usual affects of diarrhea and dysentery. Farmers fled before the army carting all their food and livestock. The occasion stray cattle, miserable lean creatures, were quickly devoured offering little sustenance. Gates heard the grumbling and to avoid the possibility of a mutiny, lied that provisions were on the way and would catch up with the army in a few days – which never happened. At the Pee Dee River Gates met the remains of Lincoln’s cavalry with Colonels Anthony White and William Washington; they had been recruiting additional men to their corps of horse. They asked Gates to assist in filling their ranks and they would join him. Gates refused their offer which deprived his army of what would have been of great value. On August 3^rd, he did pick up Lt. Colonel Charles Porterfield, who as a captain gained laurels at the Battle of Brandywine, leading a hundred Virginia state troops. Half staved, sick and exhausted, the army pushed onward, eighteen miles a day.

General Caswell’s North Carolina Militia Joins Gates

On August 5^th, Gates received notice from General Caswell that he was going to attack an enemy post. Gates feared that Caswell’s force of North Carolina militiamen would do poorly and he’d lose their support. He rode to Caswell’s camp at Lynch’s Creek and learned that Caswell was not about to attack the enemy. The militia commander wanted Gates help for he just learned that he was about to be attacked. Fact was that Rawdon had initiated a feint on Caswell’s front, then pulled back to Little Lynch’s Creek, within a mile of Camden. Gates brought the rest of his army up and was grateful to add Caswell’s 2,100 man militia to his ranks. What Gates thought was a blessing would soon prove to be an albatross that doomed his entire command. Gates was in a quandary. He could not remain where he was, not without food. He could not move his army to his left as it would position Camden in his rear and cut off any aid from the north. To the right was favorable land with the settlements of Waxhaws, however it would seem that he was retreating and he might lose his North Carolina militia. He therefore, without any plan in place, stumbled blindly forward.

Sumter Draws off Troops from Gates’ Army

On August 14^th, Gates halted his forces at Rugeley’s Mill where he was joined by General Edward Stevens and 700 Virginia militia. Here he waited for two days. While encamped and trying to decide his next move, Sumter contacted him and requested troops to attack a British wagon train carrying clothing, ammunition, and other provisions. Gates, knowing his enemy was close at hand and he needed every man and musket available, agreed. He detached a company of artillery, 300 North Carolina militia and most critical, 100 Maryland Continentals, among the best troops under his command. This reduced Gates artillery to only six cannon.

Cornwallis Joins Colonel Rawdon

During all this maneuvering and hesitation by the Americans, Cornwallis received a rumor that the American force was far larger than it was and hastened from Charleston to join Rawdon. The British had a total force of 2,239 men in which 1,400 were professional rank and file soldiers. They also had Tarleton’s British Legion of 289 dragoons which would prove devastating to those rebels trying to make their escape. On the American side, Gates had a total of 4,100 rank and file. Though Gates outnumbered the British, only 900 of his men were disciplined regular Continental troops, those from Maryland and Delaware under De Kalb.

Armies Clash Unexpectedly

With Cornwallis and Rawdon’s forces drawn up in Camden, Gates decided to march his army to Sanders Creek, about seven miles from Camden. The order to march was set for 10 PM as it would be an all night affair. The officers were credulous. Colonel Otho Williams later wrote, “how it could be conceived that an army consisting of more than two-thirds militia and which had never been once exercised in arms together, could form columns and perform other maneuvers in the night and in the face of an enemy.”  Therefore tired, sick and worn out soldiers set off on a long and dreary all night march, with the expectation by morning to be embroiled in a desperate battle. For more than four weary hours men stumbled in the dark and trudged through deep sand and frequent swamps, sapping every ounce of their remaining strength. Then the grueling march suddenly erupted in the crash of musketry. It seemed that by extraordinary coincidence, Cornwallis had intended on surprising Gates in a night march at the same hour Gates had set off. The two forces met head on. It was Tarleton’s advance corps that opened fire which was returned by the astonished American vanguard. Tarleton charged and the rebel infantry pulled back upon the 1^st Continental Brigade, throwing them into confusion. However Porterfield and Armstrong, veteran officers, stood their ground and their men erupted in a heavy fire halting Tarleton’s assault. The British infantry deployed in line across the road as did the Americans but then just as suddenly, the firing stopped; neither side wished to fight a battle in the dead of night.

Gates was astonished to learn that both Cornwallis and Rawdon’s forces were a mere 600 yards to his front. He called a council of war. DeKalb wanted to withdraw as did many of the officers, but Gates had made up his mind. They would remain where they were and fight. Gates gave the order, “To your commands, gentlemen.” It would prove to be one of the few he would give prior to and during the entire action. It was soon learned that the Americans would go into battle without one of their best officers; Colonel Porterfield had been mortally wounded in the brief night skirmish.

The Battlefield

The two armies had met in a sparse pine forest. The open woods were flanked on both sides by extensive swamps. The ground was somewhat wider at the American end. The rebels had the advantage of the higher ground with a direct avenue for retreat. The wider landscape proved to be a disadvantage as if they were pushed back, they would lose contact with the swamps and were in jeopardy of being flanked. The British, as noted, had to fight up a slight grade. Also their end was slightly narrower and if needed to retreat, there was a two hundred wide creek to their rear that could entrap their army.

Battle Formations

The Americans formed their battle lines prior to sunrise. Typically, an army’s strength and most experienced troops held the coveted position on the right. General Mordecai Gist of the 2^nd, commanding one Delaware and three Maryland regiments of continental troops, was on the right; Colonel Caswell’s North Carolina militia was in the center; and Colonel Steven’s Virginians were on the left with Colonel Charles Armand’s corps on his left flank. Brigadier General William Smallwood’s first Maryland regiment was held in reserve. Cannon were placed in front of the Delaware position with a pair held in reserve before Smallwood’s men. DeKalb was in command of the right wing and took his place in line. Gates and his staff, as at the Battle of Saratoga where he had remained on Bemis Heights, far from the scene of action, positioned himself a comfortable six hundred yards behind the American line.

The British left lined up opposite Gist’s Continentals. It was composed of the Volunteers of Ireland, Tarleton’s infantry, the Royal North Carolina Regiment, and Colonel Samuel Bryan’s North Carolina Tory volunteers. They were under Lord Rawdon’s direct command. The British right was made up of the 33^rd Regiment (Cornwallis’ own), three companies of the 23^rd, and a company of light infantry commanded by Lt. Colonel James Webster. There was a second line of the fierce 71^st Highlanders, with two 6 pound cannon. Tarleton’s British Legion’s horse was held in column behind the second line. Two additional six pounders along with two three pounders held the center. Both armies’ flanks were lined up with the swamps hugging each side. The road that branched off behind the American line led to Rugeley’s Mill. The road behind the British led back to Camden.

Opening Salvo and British Charge, Causing Militia to Panic

At dawn, artilleryman Captain Anthony Singleton opened up on the advancing British columns as they deployed. Colonel Williams rode to Gates to report the advancing British and recommended Steven’s Virginians on their left to attack before the British could form. Gates answered, “Sir, that’s right. Let it be done.” It was the first and last order he was to give that day or as historian Christopher Ward added, “or in any other to the end of the war.” Williams rode back to Stevens and gave the order to advance. The Virginians hesitated before a ragged and cautious advance; however, the British were already formed. As Steven’s corps slowly advanced, Williams gathered about fifty volunteers and rushed them to within forty yards of the British and ordered them to open fire. But the British were already upon them and Williams fell back to the Virginians. Cornwallis was present and saw that Steven’s men were faltering in their advance. He ordered Webster to take advantage of the rebel’s timidity and charge the Virginians; the British right came on as one in close ranks. They fired one volley and charged with the deadly feared bayonet.

The Virginians were green troops and the horror of glistening steel thrust forward by screaming crazed men was too much. A few managed to get off a harmless shot before they all fell back. Stevens tried to rally them shouting “we have bayonets too!” but to no avail. As one, they threw away their weapons, turned, and ran for their lives. The North Carolina militiamen in the center saw the Virginians turn tail and were gripped with panic. Without firing a single shot, the entire line of militia, nearly 2,000 men, tossed aside their muskets and in a hysterical mob, fled for the rear and swamps. Raving mad men tore by Smallwood’s regulars held in reserve and like a torrent, raced as fast as they could for safety. Hot in pursuit were Tarleton’s Legion, picking off men from behind with their sabers and small arms fire. Only one regiment of militia, Lt. Colonel Henry Dixon’s North Carolina, positioned next to the steady ranks of Delaware and Maryland Continentals, by example, held their ground.

De Kalb’s Continentals Left Alone Continue to Fight Against Enormous Odds

The center and the left were gone. In the early morning mist and the ‘fog of war’, clouds of thick heavy smoke from spent cannon and musket, General Gist and De Kalb were unaware that they were in serious trouble of being flanked on their left. All alone they now held the field against an overwhelming crush of British steel. Again and again Rawdon attacked to be driven back. De Kalb called for the reserve of Marylanders. It had reformed after the daunting surge of hysterical militiamen crashed through their line. General Smallwood could not be found, having suddenly left the field. Colonel Otho Williams took charge and brought the brigade forward and was immediately under fire. Williams tried to line up with De Kalb’s line, but the British had moved on the Continental’s left wing and maintained a gap of about six hundred feet between the two American forces.

Cornwallis, a keen observer and impeccable leader, saw his chance. He ordered Webster’s men to attack the front and left of Williams’ Marylanders. The rebels gave ground and were driven back, reformed, only to be driven back again before they were thoroughly routed. This left only the American right under General Gist and De Kalb maintaining the field and their original position. They doggedly beat off attack after attack.  In the heat of battle the two commanding generals thought that they were besting the British. They were not aware that the American left, including all the reserves, had vanished. Over a thousand British troops pressed forward, but the Continentals not only held them at bay, but pushed them back; one bayonet charge had broken through and claimed fifty British prisoners. But the swarm of British troops on their left flank was beginning to have its affect. Their left was turned and De Kalb was forced back, reforming again after a short distance. The Americans charged and were driven back. They rallied and once more, the rebels charged the British line.

Continentals Continued the Desperate Fight

The thick smoke, dust, men yelling, constant roll of musketry and cannon, all of it hung heavy over the battlefield. No one could see farther than the man next to him. In all the confusion, De Kalb and Gist still believed that they were winning the fight, thinking that the entire American force was holding their own against the best the British had. So they did what they were told and fought on, each man in a desperate fight against death that began to claim more and more of their companions. “Never did troops show greater courage than those men of Maryland and Delaware,” wrote early historian George Bancroft. With the same mettle and obstinate determination, these Continental regiments had shown at Gowanus Heights (Battle of Long Island) and Chatterton Hill (Battle of White Plains), they continued the fight for yet another hour against a superior force determined in their complete destruction. De Kalb was unhorsed and he fought on foot. His giant frame could be seen, rushing among his men, urging them on, crossing blow for blow with the enemy in close quarters as they swarmed over his dwindling command. His head had been laid open by a saber stroke. His aide pleaded with the general to withdraw, but he had no orders from Gates and still believed that the Americans were winning.

Cornwallis Throws his Entire Army at the Remaining Continentals & De Kalb Severely Wounded

The battle had now become a desperate hand-to-hand fight in horrific fierceness. Bodies were run through with sword and bayonet, steel barrels and heavy musket stocks split open skulls, men were clubbed to death and repeatedly speared by savage seventeen inch blades. Cornwallis had by now thrown his entire force on the remaining Continentals. They were entirely surrounded yet De Kalb refused to give up. He called for the bayonet. To a man the Continentals replied and charged, De Kalb at their head. They crashed through the British center, turned about and struck them from the rear. By now, De Kalb had several gunshot wounds. The blood saturated his uniform. He struck down one last soldier as the man’s bayonet pierced his chest. Wounded eleven times and weak from loss of blood, the heroic leader fell. The Continental ranks had been cut down time and time again. Few were left, yet still they rallied and drove off yet another charge of British infantry, but that was the last. At that moment, Tarleton’s cavalry returned from their pursuit of the North Carolina militia and swept down on the Continentals, slashing the remaining men who finally broke.

Few Escape

Major Archibald Anderson rallied a few men from different companies. Marylanders Colonel John Gunby, Lt. Colonel John Howard, Captain Henry Dobson, along with Captain Robert Kirkwood of Delaware collected about 60 men and formed an organized retreat. The rest who had not fallen, been seriously wounded, or captured, man for man, scattered and tore off into the swamps. De Kalb had fallen, yet was still alive. Even while lying on the ground, he was speared by bayonets. Only after his aide, the Chevalier du Buysson, cried out the baron’s name and rank, did the British cease their attacks. De Kalb was carried from the field and propped up against a tree, a wagon beside him. He leaned against the wagon, his head down and bleeding to death. It is reported that not until Cornwallis rode by and recognized the American leader that he was taken to a residence in Camden and cared for by British surgeons. He died three days later.

Stragglers Pursued and the Remains of the American Army Reassemble

Mainly militia and the remnants of the Continentals scattered in small groups or by themselves. Tarleton’s Legion continued to chase after the fleeing Americans; for more than twenty miles they cut down or captured men. The rebel army’s entire baggage, camp equipment, ammunition, and stores fell to the enemy. Beaten men looking for leadership and a chance to escape the relentless pursuit and the growing pang of hunger stumbled on for mile after mile. They found themselves in a country swarming with loyalist enemies. There were no orders where to assemble. They trudged onward, dragging tired and worn out bodies, some making it to Charlotte. General Gist came in with a few men. General Smallwood arrived there with only a handful. They formed and pushed on. Sergeant Major Seymour wrote in his journal, “We assembled at Salisbury the few that were left… this being the first place we made any halt… from here we marched on the 24^th under the command of General Smallwood, directing our rout for Hillsborough, which we reached with much difficulty on the 6^th of September, two hundred miles from Camden.”

Casualties

There is no accurate list of American casualties. It has been estimated that 650 of the Continentals, nearly the army’s entire strength of experienced regular troops, were killed or captured, the wounded were taken prisoner. The North Carolina militia suffered about 100 killed or wounded with 300 captured. Only three Virginians were wounded, the advantage of clearing out rapidly as soon as the enemy began their assault. British losses amounted to 324 of all ranks, two officers and sixty six men killed, eighteen officers and two hundred and seven wounded, eleven missing. Some of the Maryland Continental troops managed to escape through the swamps however the Delaware regiment suffered the most, basically ceasing to exist. In all thirty American officers were killed, wounded, or captured, a huge blow to future attempts at reorganizing units to offer resistance to a British offensive.

And what of Gates?

From his initial order to send Colonel Stevens’ Virginians into battle, he never spoke another word. When the militia broke and ran, he joined the panic stricken militiamen in their desperate flight for safety. The only difference between him and the green civilian soldiers, many falling prey to Tarleton’s savage horse pursuit, was that the commanding general had the fastest horse in the army. His mount, a well known racer, carried the hero of Saratoga to safety, leaving his army engaged in a momentous and tragic struggle. Later that day, the tireless steed landed his master in Charlotte, sixty miles from the field of honor. Gates reputation would never recover. He continued his swift flight, not halting until reaching Hillsborough, North Carolina, two hundred miles in four days, a feat rarely accomplished by even the fastest riders. For the next couple of months he would organize the remains of his tattered army while Congress mulled over his replacement.

His perceived cowardice and rapid flight to safety at Camden would forever more be made the theme of unsparing ridicule. When Gates accepted the southern army, his friend General Charles Lee had given his advice, “take care lest your northern laurels turn to southern willows.”  It seemed fate played its hand as the hero of Saratoga would never again order men in combat. Gates was not tried for his conduct at Camden. He was still the darling of Congress; his influential friends of New England, particularly John Adams, would not condone a trial for cowardice. He returned to Washington’s army at Newburg, New York in 1783; however, he did not receive a field command, quietly retiring from the army the following year.

Camden’s Aftermath

Historian John Fiske amply wrote, “for the second time within three months, the American army in the south had been swept out of existence… it was the most disastrous defeat ever inflicted on an American army.” What was left of the southern army was in a deplorable condition; barely 700 had assembled at Hillsborough, North Carolina. Of the original 4,000, almost none of the soldiers who remained were Continental Troops, trained, disciplined soldiers, men who a commander could trust to stand before a charging enemy and fight. For the British, the conquest of the south was well on its way to completion. Georgia and South Carolina remained totally within their control. The stage was set. North Carolina would be next and then on to Virginia. It too would fall, perhaps aided by the British navy and a large detachment of Clinton’s forces in New York.

Washington Finally Gets his Choice to Lead the Southern Army

Congress’ record of choosing commanders for the Southern Army was dismal to say the least. Historian Francis Greene summed up America’s next step writing, “Nevertheless, Congress did not despair. As usual when disasters came thickly, it turned to Washington. Having itself chosen the three commanders, [Robert] Howe, [Benjamin] Lincoln, and [Horatio] Gates, under whom Savannah, Charleston, and Georgia and the Carolinas had been lost, it now called upon Washington to select a commander for the Southern Army.”

The Commander-in-Chief would finally get his man to counter England’s penetration in the south. General Nathanael Greene, who was commanding West Point after the traitor General Benedict Arnold vacated the position, was called upon on October 5, 1780, to take command. Fiske wrote of Greene, “in every campaign since the beginning of the war [Greene] had been Washington’s right arm; and for indefatigable industry, for strength and breadth of intelligence, and for unselfish devotion to the public service, he was scarcely inferior to the commander-in-chief.”

Greene would prove to be the man for the job. His genius would shine – fighting a guerrilla war, organizing hit and run tactics while staying one step ahead of Cornwallis’ troops, dividing his army before a superior force when necessary, leading the British deeper and deeper into the heart of America which dwindled his enemy’s supplies through attrition, and perhaps most importantly, knowing when it was time to pull his forces together for a major fight. Each time withdrawing when appropriate to keep his army whole, knowing the ultimate battle was coming. Greene would be destined to lead his enemy to where the final strike would fall, ending the matter once and for all and driving England to the peace table and the birth of a new nation.

For Further Reading on the Revolutionary War in the south, check out the previews on these great books:

Of Similar Interest on Revolutionary War Journal

Daniel Morgan: His Life and the Battle of Cowpens

General Mordecai Gist and the Maryland Line Were Among the Best Troops in Washington’s Army

Lord Rawdon in America

American Revolution: In the South, Not a War for Liberty, But a Brutal Civil War

Battle of Charleston and Fort Sullivan: American Victory and Hope in 1776

Exciting New Historical Fiction Series on African Americans who fought in the American Revolution. Read a preview of Book 1 on Amazon

RESOURSES

Bancroft, George.  History of the American Revolution in Three Volumes.  1852:  Richard Bentley, New Burlington St., London, UK.

Eugenia, Burney. Colonial South Carolina. 1970: T. Nelson, Camden, NJ.

Fiske, John. The American Revolution in Two Volumes. 1891: Houghton Mifflin & Co., New York, NY.

Greene, Francis Vinton. The Revolutionary War and the Military Policy of the United States. 1911: Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, NY.

Gordon, William D.D. The History of the Rise, Progress and Establishment of the Independence of the United States of America: Including an Account of the Late War, and of the Thirteen Colonies. Vol. II 1801:  Printed for Samuel Campbell by John Woods, New York, NY.

Harvey, Robert. A Few Bloody Noses, The Realities and Mythologies of the American Revolution. 2002: The Overlook Press, Woodstock & New York, NY.

Lossing, Benson.  The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution in Two Volumes.  1852: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, New York, NY.

Piecuch, James. The Battle of Camden, A Documented History. 2006: The History Press, Charleston, South Carolina.

Ramsay, David M.D.  The History of the American Revolution in Two Volumes  Vol. I.  1789: Aitken & Son, Philadelphia, PA.

Smith, David. Camden, 1780; The Annihilation of Gates’ Grand Army. 2016: Bloomsbury Publishing, New York, NY.

Trevelyan, Sir George Otto, Bart.  The Revolutionary War Vol. III.  1922:  Longmans, Green & Co., London, UK & New York, NY.

Ward, Christopher.  The War of the Revolution.  1952:  MacMillan Publ., New York, NY.  2011: Skyhorse Publ., New York, NY.