| 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. |