Battle in Perspective, Battle of Camden Project

Summary of Most Important Aspects of the Battle of Camden SC 16 August 1780 ("Gates' Defeat"). camden battle 1780 gates cornwallis rawdon continentals militia muskets rifles artillery cavalry "gate's defeat" "south carolina" reenactors

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THE BATTLE IN PERSPECTIVE, BATTLE OF CAMDEN PROJECT

Note: This entire page is a "work in progress". Nothing here
represents the final conclusions of the History Sub-committee.

TIMELINE	ANCILLARY	SYNOPSIS	ORDER OF BATTLE
MAPS OF BATTLE	CASUALTIES	ORDNANCE	MOON & SUN

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Timeline

Southern Campaign Timeline. C. Baxley.
Rev War '75. J.K. Robertson's battle/skirmish table and orderly book listing. August 1780

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Ancillary

Ancillary Actions. C. Baxley.
Logistics at Camden. P. O'Kelley.

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Synopsis Of Battle

Secondary accounts

1788. William GORDON. 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, from their origin to that period. In four volumes. 8vo. London, 1788. Included in J.A. Stevens 1880 article, below, transcribed by Sherri Bower.
1794. Charles STEDMAN, The History of the Origins, Progress and Termination of the American War (London: J. Murray, Printer, 1794). Submitted by Jim Legg.

c.1805 William R. DAVIE.

Revolutionary War Sketches. Extraction of primary source relating to Rocky Mount, Hanging Rock and the retreat through Charlotte after Battle of Camden and of secondary source relating to Battle of Camden. Transcribed by John Robertson

1822. William JOHNSON, Sketches of the Life and Correspondence of Nathanael Greene, Vol. 1, Chapter X. Submitted and transcribed by John Robertson, courtesy of Cowpens NB.
1851. Benson J. LOSSING, The Pictorial Field Book of the Revolution , Vol. II (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1851), Chapter XXV, pp. 654-681
1871. Henry B. CARRINGTON, Battles of the American Revolution, 1775-1781. Historical and Military Criticism, with Topographical Illustration, (New York: A.S. Barnes & Co., 1871, 1876). Chap. LXV. "Battle of Camden, ..." .
1874. George BANCROFT. History of the United States from the Discovery of the American Continent. Vol. X., 8 vo. Little, Brown & Co. Boston, 1874. Included in J.A. Stevens 1880 article, below, transcribed by Sherri Bower.
1880. John Austin STEVENS: "Gates at Camden". Magazine of American History, October 1880. Includes accounts by GORDON and BANCROFT, above. Transcribed by Sherri Bower.
1905. Thomas KIRKLAND and Robert M. KENNEDY, Historic Camden, Colonial and Revolutionary, Vol. 1, Chapter VI, pp.146-170 (Columbia: The State Company, 1905).
1929. H. L. LANDERS, The Battle of Camden, S.C., August 16, 1780 (Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1929)
1980. R. Bryan WHITFIELD: The Preservation of Camden Battlefield. [OCR transcription in progress].
2000. J. MAASS "There Was Never a More Complete Victory" - Gates, Cornwallis And The Battle Of Camden, August 16, 1780.
2002. C. BAXLEY. Synopsis of battle

Primary accounts

	Otho H. WILLIAMS' account of the battle [L. BABITS] Full narrative.		Banastre TARLETON's account of the battle [L. BABITS]
	CORNWALLIS' report of victory [L. BABITS]		General GATES to the President of Congress, dated Hillsborough, Aug 20, 1780. [L. BABITS]
	PINCKNEY's ltr to Johnson. [B. MOSS] Related letter.	Col. Josias C. HALL, 4th MD Regt. to ___, 28 Aug 1780
Lt. Col. Johann Christian SENF's account Senf's map [G. FIELDS]. Another transcription by J.A. Stevens, Magazine of American History, Oct 1880. [J.LEGG/SHERRI BOWER].		Garret WATTS, Pvt., NC Militia, Pension statement [C. BAXLEY]
Guilford DUDLEY, , ___, Halifax Co. NC Militia: Pension statement "Military Services of..." [Last half: B. MOSS]		Letters from DU BUYSSON des Hays, Charles-Francois, Le Chevalier, Lt.Col., aide-de-camp of Gen. DeKalb
Edward STEVENS Letter to Thomas Jefferson, 20 August 1780.		Maj. Charles McGILL letter to his father, August 1780
Sgt. Roger LAMB memoir. An Original and Authetic Journal... 1809.			Mordecai GIST letter to Caesar Rodney, 12 September 1780 [LEE BOYLE]
William SEYMOUR, Sergeant-Major of the Delaware Regiment Journal of the Southern Expedition, 1780-1783.		Adonijah PERRY, Pvt., Jones Co. NC Militia, letter to his parents, 29 August 1780
James HOPKINS pension statement Pvt., Capt. Azariah Martin's Co. Col. Lucas 4th Rgt. VA Militia			John Robert Shaw, 33rd A narrative of the life & travels of .... 1807
Robert KIRKWOOD Journal of Marches, from Morristown, East Jersey, Southerly, 13 April through 25 Oct 1780. [SHERMAN/ROBERTSON]		Thomas ANDERSON Journal of Thomas Anderson's 1st Delaware Regiment. [LEGG/ROBERTSON]
	Francis RAWDON's letter to Col. McMahon. 19 January 1801. Paraphrase. [BASKIN/ROBERTSON]

See Other primary documents.

camden battle 1780 gates cornwallis rawdon continentals militia muskets rifles artillery cavalry "gate's defeat" "south carolina" reenactors

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Order of Battle

C. Baxley
- American commanders, initial version
- British commanders, initial version
- War Office, 30 July 1780. Rosters, British Regiments, 30 June 1780, : Submitted by Charles Baxley.
- Military units (20 Sep 02)
L. Babits
- LB's Order of Battle, 29 July 02
- 5th MD Regt at Guilford C.H., Study in Hist. Accuracy
Patrick O'Kelley
- Camden OOB from his soon-to-be published Vol.Two of "Nothing but Blood and Slaughter" The Revolutionary War in the Carolinas, Vol. Two (1780). Vol. One (1771-1779) is currently available here.
William Thomas Sherman:
- Calendar and Record of the Revolutionary War in the South: 1780-1781, by William Thomas Sherman, Not limited to BOC.
Cornwallis' Field Return on 15 August 1780

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Maps. More maps. Map bibliography.

ED. BARRON'S MAP	BARRETTï¿½'S MAP	TARLETON'S (FADEN'S)	CALVIN KEY'S MAP	"OLIVE" SKETCH
SENF MAP SENF DISCRIP.	STEDMAN MAP	C.K. MAP WITH TOPO OVERLAY	CARRINGTON'S MAP	LOSSING'S MAP
KENNEDY & KIRKLAND MAP	LANDERS 16 AUG MAP	LANDERS' 15 AUG MAP	SOUTH 1778-81	GATES' ROUTE After K & K
VALLANCY'S MAP	DES BARRES MAP	FINNEGAN'S MAP Map description	FADEN PEN & INK	"After" SENF