The Battle of Camden was fought on August 16th, 1780, and was one of the worst defeats suffered by the Continental Army in the southern theater during the Revolutionary War (it is also considered to be the high-water mark of British control in the south). This devastating loss all but destroyed the army under the command of General Horatio Gates, who is said to have fled the field of battle and rode hard north until he was out of danger. Today, hundreds of acres of the Camden battlefield are preserved to provide visitors with a unique look into the terrain, tactics, and leadership of that fateful day.
History
As the Revolutionary War reached an essential stalemate in the north (largely due to the American-French alliance and the British decision to consolidate their forces in New York City), the British strategy shifted to the southern colonies in hopes of garnering support from the loyalist population there. On May 12th, 1780, the important coastal city of Charles Town (Charleston), South Carolina was captured by the British after a multi-week siege. The loss of Charles Town devastated the patriot cause, as hundreds of artillery pieces, thousands of muskets, crucial ammunition, and an American Army of over 5,000 soldiers under the command of General Benjamin Lincoln was captured. Now with a base to operate out of, British General Charles Cornwallis and his army worked to take control of the South Carolina backcountry and quickly occupied crucial towns such as Camden and Ninety Six. In response, General Washington sent General Baron Johann de Kalb with veteran Continental troops south and in July 1780, General Horatio Gates took command and worked to form a new American Army.
Camden was the largest and arguably, most important city in the Carolina backcountry in 1780. Accordingly, it was a strategic outpost for both the British and American armies throughout the war. In an attempt to force the British troops under Lord Rawdon to abandon Camden, Gates marched his larger army (reinforced by local militia) south towards the town in August 1780. Upon receiving word of Gates’ movements, British General Cornwallis quickly marched with reinforcements from Charles Town and on August 13th, arrived in Camden. Two days later, the two armies clashed amidst the longleaf pines north of the town.
In the early morning hours of August 16th, 1780, the American Army under General Gates marched south on the Great Wagon Road towards Camden, as the British Army under General Cornwallis marched north on that very road- neither army was aware of the other. Around 2AM, advance forces from each army unexpectedly encountered one another and after a sharp firefight between calvary and infantry units, both sides retired until daylight. In the meantime, General Gates was surprised to learn from a few captured British soldiers that he faced General Cornwallis and over 2,000 British troops!
At dawn, both sides formed for battle and each placed their experienced regulars on the right flank and militia/loyalists on the left flank. Bisecting the field of impending battle was the Great Wagon Road and a clearing of sandy soil, which gave way to longleaf pine trees on either side. The battle began with each side ordering its right flank to attack. The British regulars charged with bayonets towards the American left flank made up of inexperienced Virginia and North Carolina militia. In the face of a superior foe, the militia panicked, broke, and ran. After the battle, a North Carolina militiaman admitted that their flight was instantaneous, as soldiers dropped their loaded muskets and sprinted towards the rear. In the face of the militia’s retreat, General William Smallwood’s 1st Maryland Brigade marched forward as support and attempted to stand its ground.
As the patriot militia dispersed, Continental troops that comprised the right flank put up a stout resistance. Unfortunately for those men, the British right flank, instead of pursuing the militia, turned left and slammed into the Continental troops. As British troops closed in on three sides of the Continental line under command of General de Kalb, General Cornwallis ordered Tarleton’s calvary to swing around to the rear of the American forces. This action forced the Continental troops to break and retreat, as General Gates fled the battlefield and rode hard northwards. General de Kalb, now on foot, fiercely attempted to rally his men; however, he was finally taken down and mortally wounded by eight bayonet stabs and three musket balls.
The battle was a clear British victory- Tarleton and his dragoons even pursued the retreating Americans for over 20 miles before calling off the chase. In the end, the British Army suffered 68 killed, 245 wounded, and 11 missing. The American Army suffered at least 900 killed and wounded and over 1,000 captured (all eight American artillery pieces were captured as well). Two days after the battle, General Baron de Kalb (now a prisoner of war) succumbed to his wounds and died. The American loss outside Camden essentially destroyed any resistance to General Cornwallis and the British Army in the south; however, it also led to General Nathanael Greene’s appointment as head of the Southern Department, which proved to be critical to American success in the southern theater later in the war.
Interesting Facts
- 476 acres make up the Camden Battlefield and Longleaf Pine Preserve today
- Many of the dead from the Battle of Camden were buried and left in unmarked graves, which makes the battlefield truly sacred ground. General Baron de Kalb is buried in the Bethesda Presbyterian Churchyard in Camden
- The Battle of Camden is depicted in the movie “The Patriot,” which even makes a reference to the embarrassing flight of General Horatio Gates
Our Visit & Recommendations
The Camden Battlefield and Longleaf Pine Preserve (1698 Flat Rock Road, Camden, SC) is located approximately 5 miles north of Camden, South Carolina. The battlefield and preserve consist of over 450 acres, which can easily be explored on a series of walking trails (it is free to the public). I recommend parking in the small lot off of Flat Rock Road near the roadside historical marker (seen below), which is also the location of an information kiosk. This is the best place to begin your walk of the trails, because you can grab a trail map or if one is not available, snap a photo of the trail map posted on the information kiosk (I have also posted it below). Be sure to wear good hiking shoes and bring some water along with you!
Near the parking lot is a stone monument that marks the location where General Baron de Kalb was mortally wounded (seen earlier in this article). Once you are ready to begin, set off down the well-marked hiking trails, which will take you around all of the major points of the battlefield. There are also interpretive signs throughout, which provide details of the battle, troop movements, and different phases of the battle. If you so desire, there is an audio tour offered on the Camden Battlefield website, which provides a lot of great details.
At first, I was surprised by the terrain- it is not at all what I had pictured! Of course, the landscape has changed over the years, but movies such as “The Patriot” often skew what the battlefield actually looked like. Regardless, it was enjoyable to wander about the towering longleaf pines and try to picture the movement of troops throughout this area- I can’t even imagine what the (unexpected) fighting was like at 2AM on August 16th. The various interpretive signs provide important details and also display battle maps, which show where the various units were deployed in relation to your location on the trails.
Although not managed by the National Park Service (NPS), the Historic Camden Foundation has done an outstanding job at preserving the battlefield and providing clear trails and information to assist visitors in better understanding the battle and surrounding landscape. For more information, a free audio tour, or to book a guided tour (offered on the third Saturday every month), please visit the Camden Battlefield & Longleaf Pine Preserve website.
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