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Aftermath

What become of Maj. General Horatio Gates himself? After the militia broke and fled, Gates soon followed. Some reported that he did attempt to rally the retreating militia, but to no avail. What can be said is that Gates was in Charlotte, North Carolina, sixty miles away by the evening of August 16 only hours after the battle. He was in Hillsborough, North Carolina, 180 miles away, by August 19.

Battle of Camden, Death of De Kalb." August 1780. Copy of engraving after Alonzo Chappel.

General Gates' actions were almost immediately questioned. After Maj. General Nathanael Greene replaced him in December, he returned home to Virginia to await a inquiry into his conduct at Camden. He would not hold another command for the rest of the war. He did return to active duty before the end to official hostilities, serving in General Washington's command staff, as he had at the start of the war.

It was estimated that of the 3,000 men that made up the American force, 2,000 fled without firing a shot. Somewhere around 800 men were captured or killed and the army's munitions were also taken, while the British only sustained about 350 casualties. This loss left Patriot morale in the South at a low and the region firmly under British control until General Geene built the Continental forces back up in early 1781. Even with the care of Lt. General Charles Cornwallis' personal physician, Maj. General Baron de Kalb died at Camden three days after the battle.

The battle of Camden, South Carolina was a stunning defeat for the American Army. However the battle of Camden did effectively remove the politically appointed General Hortio Gates, and place the new General Nathaniel Greene, a man Washington had hoped would replace him should anything befall the Commander in Chief.

Horatio Gates, had assumed command of the Army in the South, and things were going poorly. Gates a political appointee had little appreciation for the depravity and poor condition of the troops in the south. In addition, Gates also had a false sense of confidence when meeting the enemy.

Memorial Erected in 1909 by the Hobkirk Hill Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution Marking the Spot Where Baron Johann DeKalb Fell Mortally Wounded in the Battle of Camden.

Additional Sources:

teachpol.tcnj.edu
www.afn.org
jrshelby.com
www.dnr.state.sc.us
www.pro.gov.uk
www.sar.org
digital.library.upenn.edu
freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~johnrobertson
www.boxoff.com
xenophongroup.com

Gates had been a hero at Saratoga, but his overall ability as a leader was made manifest at Camden. Even though he had numerical superiority, Gates failed to heed the advice of his fellow generals and, even worse, fled the field in the heat of the battle. So complete was the rout and so craven was Gates that he mounted his horse and never stopped until he reached Charlotte, a distance of some sixty miles. Within three days he was all the way to Hillsborough, North Carolina. More than a thousand Americans died at Camden, as compared with a mere sixty-eight British.

Morale was so low in the aftermath of this disaster that, had it not been for the success at Musgrove Mill, the British regulars under Lord Cornwallis might well have wrapped up the war in a few short weeks. In the aftermath of Camden, only Col. Isaac Shelby and a thin force of raw militiamen stood in the way of the British establishing a solid foothold in the upcountry. Although badly outnumbered, Shelby used patience, the expert marksmanship of his backwoods militiamen, and a favorable position to good advantage. That hot afternoon at Musgrove Mill saw sixty-three Tories killed, with another ninety wounded and seventy captured. The patriots’ losses were only four dead and eight wounded. As news of the triumph spread, flagging spirits soared, and Musgrove Mill served as a harbinger of the turn of the tide at King’s Mountain two months later. Patriots now had a tangible indication that ultimate victory over the British was possible.

For your consideration
Chief WIggles collecting toys for Iraqi children
Chief Wiggles Blog ^ | 9-23-03 | Chief Wiggles

Posted on 09/23/2003 6:21 AM CDT by TomB

For those of you who read Chief Wiggles' blog, he is an American serviceman in Iraq, doing interrogations and intelligence. The other day he posted a touching story about giving a few simple items to an Iraqi girl, and her reaction. Well so many people asked about sending toys to him to distribute, they set up an address where you can send them.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/987586/posts