♪ [mortar fire booming] ♪ ♪ [musket fire popping] ♪ [mortar fire booming] ♪ [mortar fire booming] ♪ [mortar fire booming] Prof.

Henry Lumpkin> The great port city of Charleston, on its peninsula, now was in British hands, and almost the entire American army of the South had been captured with the city, along with its commander, Benjamin Lincoln.

The British now pushed inland, up along the rivers-- the Savannah, the Santee, the Pee Dee-- pushing up into back country South Carolina, establishing fortified outposts and strongly held enclaves throughout the state as they marched.

The scene was being set for the conquest of the Carolinas.

A new American army now marches down from the North, an army commanded by General Horatio Gates, the hero of Saratoga, an army doomed, also, to defeat and route at Camden.

Let us now go to Camden.

♪ ♪ We are standing here on a South Carolina dirt road like the road where Lord Cornwallis and Horatio Gates, the American commander, marched and met each other to fight the crucial Battle of Camden in 1780.

Now, Johann de Kalb and Horatio Gates met on Deep River in North Carolina with all proper ceremonies, including a 13-gun salute.

Horatio Gates took command of the whole Southern Department.

Major General Johann de Kalb was confirmed in his command of the Maryland and Delaware line troops, some of the best Continental troops in the American army, and his division of the "Grand Army," as Horatio Gates so portentously called it... although no army at all really existed as yet.

Also, Johann de Kalb, for want of horses, had been forced to leave behind 10 of his 18 field guns, a grim deficiency in the battle ahead.

At this moment, the Grand Army consisted of Johann de Kalb's Continentals, Colonel Charles Armand's legion, formerly Casimir Pulaski's legion... Casimir Pulaski, who'd died at Savannah.

This legion consisted of 60 horses and 60 foot, and there were 3 companies of artillery with 8 guns.

The strange comedy of errors now begins.

Johann de Kalb had planned his march to Camden south and west via Salisbury, North Carolina.

On August 3rd, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Porterfield, a singularly gallant officer with an excellent record as captain of Continentals, arrived in General Gates' camp with 100 Virginia State Troops.

The army then marched on through semi-wilderness... and enemy country.

Major William Seymour of the Delaware line writes in his journal, "At this time, "we were so much distressed for want of provisions "that we were 14 days and drew but 1/2 pound of flour.

"Sometimes we drew a half a pound of beef per man, "and that so miserably poor "that scarce any mortal could make use of it.

"Living chiefly on green apples and peaches, "which rendered our situation truly miserable, "being in a weak and sickly condition and surrounded on all sides by our enemies."

On August the 6th, Horatio Gates joined Richard Caswell and added 2,100 North Carolina militia to his army.

Lord Rawdon, Lord Francis Rawdon, the British commander with a strong reconnaissance force, retired before the Americans without fighting and took up a position on the other side of Little Lynches Creek.

Horatio Gates, despite Johann de Kalb's advice, who wanted to outflank Lord Rawdon by a forced night march, instead marched away by another road in broad daylight!

And Rawdon, calling in his garrison from Colonel Henry Rugeley's plantation, fell back on Log Town, a mile above Camden.

Gates arriving at Rugeley's, was joined by 700 Virginia militia under General Edward Stevens.

Now the Gamecock, Thomas Sumter-- the Gamecock, as Banastre Tarleton called him-- that headstrong general, enters the picture.

Always a fighter, Thomas Sumter asked for reinforcements to attack a British wagon train bringing supplies and ammunition from Charleston to their main British upcountry base at Camden.

General Gates, Horatio Gates, sent him 400 men and 2 field pieces, reducing his artillery to 6 guns.

The 400 included 300 North Carolina militia and 100 Maryland Continentals... with the Delawares, Horatio Gates' best regular troops.

Earl Cornwallis, meanwhile, informed by dispatch rider of Gates' advance, had ridden from Charleston to Camden in four days and attached four companies of light infantry from Ninety Six to reinforce Camden.

The British commanders now led three companies of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

That's the 23rd Regiment, of 282 men; the west riding regiment, the 33rd Regiment, of 283 men; five companies of Frasier's Highlanders, the 71st Foot, 237 men; Tarleton's legion of horse and foot, 289 men; the Royal North Carolina Loyalist Regiment of 247 men; Lord Rawdon's Volunteers of Ireland, made up almost entirely of Irish deserters from the American army, 287 men; 26 pioneers; 300 volunteer militiamen; and 17 men of the Royal Artillery with four 6-pounders and two 3-pounders for a total of 2,239 men.

Horatio Gates had the Marylanders and the Delawares reduced, by sickness and desertion and 100 sent to Thomas Sumter, to 900 men.

These are the only regulars he had.

There were 60 horsemen of Charles Armand's legion with 60 foot; Charles Porterfield's 100 Virginia Light Infantry; 2,800 North Carolina and Virginia militia under Edward Stevens and Richard Caswell; three companies of artillery with six guns and 100 men; and 70 volunteer local horsemen.

The army numbered 4,100 effectives, with 3,052 only fit for duty.

The Americans, thus, had 900 regulars... the British, 1,400.

Horatio Gates, with an army chiefly of militia, now ordered a night march, in columns, on a prepared enemy position... a complicated maneuver for well-trained regulars.

Also, Horatio Gates thought that he had 7,000 effectives.

His deputy adjutant general, Otho Williams, informed him instead... that there were 3,056 probably fit for duty.

General Horatio Gates merely said, "Sir, there are enough for our purpose."

Sublime and almost ludicrous self-confidence.

The army began its advance-- Colonel Charles Porterfield's 100 Virginians and Major John Armstrong's North Carolina militia acting as light infantry, moving forward in single file about 200 yards from the road on the right and left of the column.

Charles Armand's horse led the van over his correct protests that cavalry had no place in the lead during a night attack since the horses' hooves could be heard a great distance, which is quite true.

Horatio Gates again ignored this advice.

In line behind the infantry advance guard came the 1st and 2nd Continental Brigades, then the North Carolina militia and the Virginia militia, the horse volunteers patrolling the road and watching the baggage train in the rear.

According to the tradition, probably valid, Horatio Gates is said to have stated that he would breakfast on the morrow with Earl Cornwallis a guest at his table.

If Horatio Gates' horse had been a little slower, coming events would have made that boast come true, except Horatio Gates would have been the guest.

Since beef and cornmeal had been procured, enough to feed the army, rations were issued, and the famished men bolted a pre-battle supper before the night march began-- beef, campfire-baked bread-- while Horatio Gates, lacking the usual rum, issued each man for dessert... a gill of molasses to mix with his cornmeal mush.

Apparently, it practically exploded inside the soldiers, and Otho Williams grimly tells of soldiers, through necessity, breaking ranks all night long.

It was a thoroughly debilitated army which went into battle on the next day.

The first encounter took place very early in the morning of August 16, 1780.

Strictly by coincidence, Earl Cornwallis and Lord Rawdon had decided to march from Camden to surprise General Gates, just as Gates had marched from Rugeley's to surprise Cornwallis.

The two cavalry forces met-- Banastre Tarleton and Colonel Charles Armand-- and exchanged pistol fire, much to both armies' intense surprise.

Banastre Tarleton, always aggressive, drew saber and promptly charged.

Armand, whose men, a ragtag lot at best-- mostly deserters-- fell back in confusion, equally confusing the leading elements of American infantry.

Charles Porterfield and John Armstrong, commanding on the forward flanks coolly and well, swung their light infantry out of the woods into flanking position and drove back Tarleton.

It was here the gallant Charles Porterfield fell, mortally wounded.

The British infantry, steadily moving into line, checked the flank attack, and after 15 or 20 minutes of mutually wild firing in the dark, both sides fell back and regrouped.

It was then and then only... that Horatio Gates discovered he had run head on into Earl Cornwallis and Lord Rawdon with 3,000 experienced British and Loyalist soldiers... (rifles firing) With an army mostly composed of American militia, and generally half sick at that, it was clear that the only wise thing to do was to fall back in good order and take up a strong defensive position.

There, Horatio Gates could wait for the British attack.

The brilliant Otho Williams of Maryland so advised and thought it would happen, but Horatio Gates called a battle council.

"You know our situation, gentlemen," he said.

"What's best to be done?"

Edward Stevens of the Virginia militia finally broke the somewhat strained silence.

"We must fight," he replied.

"It's now too late to retreat.

We could do nothing else... we must fight!"

No one else said anything, for or against.

Horatio Gates finally spoke.

"We must fight, then... to your commands, gentlemen."

A tragic and a very stupid decision.

The battle was fought in a narrow, open forest of pines-- you see it here-- with very little undergrowth.

On both flanks were and are wide swamps, impossible to an army moving with wheeled equipment to cross.

The Americans had a better position on slightly rising ground with a clear road of retreat behind them.

The British had a creek 200 feet wide behind them-- about a good mile behind them-- a potential trap in case of defeat.

On the other hand, the British flanks rested in the swamps, so they could not easily be outflanked, while the pine forest was wider where the American army was stationed.

Thus they could be outflanked if the British should win.

The American line was drawn up as follows: Mordecai Gist's 2nd Brigade of one Delaware and three Maryland regiments on the right; Richard Caswell's North Carolina militia on the left of the road in the center; Edward Stevens' Virginia militia on the left, with Charles Armand's small legion refused on his left flank.

William Smallwood's 1st Maryland Brigade were held in reserve... here on the right and in the center, and the few pieces of artillery, some seven guns, were placed in front of the center of the road and between Richard Caswell and Edward Stevens.

Johann de Kalb commanded the right wing, and Horatio Gates, with his staff, took post about 600 yards... up the road, behind the line.

The British line was formed on the left, from left to right of the road.

First, the Royal North Carolina Regiment... with Samuel Bryan's North Carolina Volunteers refused on the left flank... then the infantry of Banastre Tarleton's legion and the Volunteers of Ireland into the center.

Lord Rawdon commanded on the left wing, facing Johann de Kalb.

The right wing, from left to right on the road, was composed of, first, the 33rd Regiment, three companies of the 23rd Regiment, and a detachment of light infantry.

Lieutenant Colonel James Webster, a good soldier, commanded the right wing.

The 71st Regiment, the Highlanders, were in reserve with the two 6-pounder field guns, and Banastre Tarleton's cavalry were held in column, behind the reserve, to exploit any retreating move by the American enemy.

The flanks of both armies rested in the two swamps, the British directly, the Americans with an interval of pinewoods.

Colonel Otho Williams and the Marylanders, riding with his point, saw the British advancing in column.

He informed Captain Singleton of the American artillery, who said, yes, he could distinguish the grounds of their uniforms.

"They're not more than 200 yards away."

"Open fire!"

said Otho Williams, and Singleton opened fire.

The enemy advanced their field guns and replied.

The battle was joined.

Otho Williams rode back and reported to Horatio Gates that the enemy were deploying on the right.

Stevens could attack them before they were fully formed.

"Sir, that's right... let it be done," said General Horatio Gates.

To the best of my knowledge, that is the last recorded command Horatio Gates gave in this battle.

Edward Stevens was ordered to move his people forward into action, and they advanced with clumsy hesitation.

Otho Williams called for volunteers and led some 80 to 100 men to within 40 yards of the advancing British line.

By taking cover behind trees, they delivered an harassing fire on the flank, Indian style, at close range.

The elect Earl Cornwallis, however, had seen Edward Stevens' Virginia militia's clumsy attempt to form an advance, and he ordered Lieutenant Colonel James Webster, an uncommonly gallant officer, to charge the American militia with the bayonet before it had time to come into line.

James Webster, leading the Welsh Fusiliers and the West Ridings, closed ranks, fixed bayonets, and charged shoulder to shoulder.

The Virginia militia heard the deep British cheer and saw the steel-tipped, scarlet line sweep forward in perfect order, and they began to fall back in disorder.

A few fired their muskets, and a few of the enemy fell, but this was the first time many of the Americans had been in battle and seen a real enemy.

Anyone who has commanded men in battle knows that expression on green men's faces when suddenly war becomes real, personal, and deadly.

The Virginians, in spite of the exhortations of Edward Stevens, who shouted for his men to use the bayonet, too, broke and ran.

"We have bayonets... use them!"

he shouted.

The North Carolina militia saw the Virginians running, saw the British line advancing, and, without firing a shot, turned and left the battlefield in full flight... throwing away muskets and accoutrements as they ran.

Two thousand, five hundred Virginians and North Carolinians broke through the 1st Maryland Brigade and threw them into confusion.

Horatio Gates, mounted on a famous racer and swept away by the rout, left the field at full gallop and did not draw rein until he reached Charlotte, 60 miles away.

His later excuse, seeing the battle lost... he went to Charlotte to rally the survivors.

While exonerated officially for his conduct, he never was given command again.

Mordecai Gist and Johann de Kalb held the field here on my right, alone.

One regiment of North Carolina militia, to give it full credit, under the command of Colonel Henry Dixon, held its position on the left of the steady Delawares and continued to fight.

De Kalb called for the reserve, and Otho Williams, finding William Smallwood, its commander, also had left the field, tried to bring these regulars on the left of the 2nd Brigade to form an angle of fire, a defensive L. But the British already were between the two brigades, and the gap of 600 yards could not be closed.

Earl Cornwallis threw James Webster and his regulars against the 1st Marylanders, the reserve.

They fought, retreated, rallied, and finally were broken and routed, some of them escaping safely through the swamp... to their right.

Only the 2nd Marylanders, the Delawares, and Henry Dixon's North Carolinians were left to continue the battle... some 600 men, some 600 Americans, against 2,000.

They already had driven Lord Rawdon back with a bayonet charge and taken prisoners, and for another hour they charged, re-formed, and charged again hopelessly and gallantly, with Johann de Kalb personally leading his men on foot, sword, and hand, his horse having been shot early in the battle.

Urged to retire in good order, Major General Johann de Kalb, his head laid open by a saber cut, refused to retreat.

Johann de Kalb cut down one British soldier attacking him with a bayonet and finally fell with 11 sword and bullet wounds.

His men closed ranks one more time and repelled one more bayonet charge with magnificent courage, and then Earl Cornwallis threw Banastre Tarleton's cavalry, returning from pursuing the militia down the road.

The remnant Marylanders, Delawares, and Dixon's North Carolinians finally broke and ran.

John Gunby, John Eager Howard, and Captain Dobson of Maryland, and Robert Kirkwood of Delaware rallied about 60 men, and these retreated from the field in a compact fighting group.

The rest were killed, captured, or scattered through the swamps.

Johann de Kalb was left on the field.

When the British soldiers ran up to finish him off with their bayonets, his aide, the Chevalier de Buysson, threw himself across the general's body, shouting out de Kalb's name and rank.

(rifles firing) Johann de Kalb, General de Kalb, was propped against a wagon wheel or a pine tree-- there are two traditions-- and sat there dying until-- and this is one of the most poignant and humane stories-- Earl Cornwallis, Lord Cornwallis, rode by, and recognizing the famous European soldier, had de Kalb carried into Camden and given the best possible medical treatment.

You must remember the European social system of the period where a formal courtesy was maintained between officers of opposing armies drawn from the same social strata.

According to the legend, and I see no reason to doubt it, Lord Cornwallis discovered... that Johann de Kalb was a Mason.

He, Lord Cornwallis, also was a Mason, and when de Kalb died with great dignity and courage three days later, Lord Cornwallis had de Kalb buried with full military and also Masonic honors.

Lord Cornwallis himself attended the funeral with all his officers... a human note in an otherwise totally tragic business for the American army.

Banastre Tarleton pursued the American fugitives for 20 miles... and we have an eyewitness description of the road from Camden to Charlotte, leading from the battlefield... Charles Stedman.

"Broken wagons, dead horses, "abandoned weapons and equipment, "dead, dying, and badly wounded Americans "lining the road and roadside... for miles, the dreadful debris of retreat and battle."

At Rugeley Mills, Colonel Charles Armand, with his legion horse, tried to save the baggage left behind, which the fleeing Americans, by the way, were looting.

Banastre Tarleton came up with his dragoons and broke with a saber charge what little resistance existed there.

The British casualties were 324 of all ranks out of 2,239 engaged.

These included 2 officers and 66 men killed, 18 officers and 227 wounded, and 18 missing.

The American losses never really have been reckoned, but 30 officers were captured, and 3 officers were killed.

Probably 650 Americans of the approximately 3,000 in action were killed or captured, another disaster almost equal to Charleston.

Saratoga, that British defeat in New York, was avenged... and avenged very thoroughly indeed.

♪ Here is your cornmeal mush laced with molasses... it's a horrid-looking mess.

Along with fresh-killed beef, undoubtedly a contributing factor to the defeat of the Americans at Camden.

It isn't always bullets only which win or lose battles.

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