Battle of Camden

The Battle of Camden, also known as the Battle of Camden Court House, was fought on August 16, 1780, as part of the Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War. A British army of 2,100 regulars and militia under Lieutenant-generalLord Cornwallis engaged an American army of 4,000 regulars and militia under Major GeneralHoratio Gates four miles north of Camden, South Carolina. The battle resulted in a major British victory, with Cornwallis' force suffering just over 300 casualties while Gates' suffered almost 2,000.

As a result of the battle, Britain's hold on the Carolinas, inaugurated by their earlier capture of Charleston, was further strengthened. The American defeat was a personal humiliation for Gates, who had led the Americans to victory at the Battles of Saratoga in 1777. Though outnumbering Cornwallis' army almost 2-to-1, his command at Camden was widely seen as disorganized and chaotic. Following the battle, he was regarded with disdain by his colleagues and never held a field command again. However, Gates' political connections helped him avoid any military inquiry into the debacle or court-martial.