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 British troops successfully defend the ford from Patriot troops marching toward Camden. Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates marched his newly-formed army out of North Carolina into South Carolina and was looking for NC Brig. Gen. Richard Caswell's militia, which was supposed to be at Mask's Ferry, but BG Caswell had moved his men to be in position to attack the British post at Lynches Ferry. Maj. Gen. Gates moved his force in that direction, hoping to save the Patriot militia from themselves. Meanwhile, Lord Rawdon learned of Maj. Gen. Gates's entry into South Carolina and he marched his men to occupy the bridge across the western branch of Lynches Creek, known as Little Lynches Creek. The British outpost at Lynches Ferry withdrew and joined Lord Rawdon's army. Maj. Gen. Gates and his Continentals, now reinforced with NC militia, moved towards Lord Rawdon and actually succeeded in flanking Lord Rawdon's force, which was much smaller than Maj. Gen. Gates's army. The Patriots engaged British sentries with long-range rifles, but never hit any of them. After a two-day wait, Maj. Gen. Gates moved up the creek and crossed over. Lord Rawdon did not want to risk a major fight at this location since he knew that Lt. Gen. Charles Lord Cornwallis was on his way to rendezvous at Camden, so Lord Rawdon withdrew back to Camden and established a camp at Log Town. He ordered the Loyalist militia to harrass the Patriots and lead them away from his retreat, which they succeeded in accomplishing, taking Maj. Gen. Gates 35 miles out of his way - buying Lord Rawdon time for the upcoming Battle of Camden. While most of the Continental Army's Southern Command was beseiged at Charleston, Maj. Gen. Baron DeKalb took control of what remained of the Southern Department's troops. On April 16th, he marched from Morristown, NJ with 1,400 men. These were six Maryland and Delaware Continental regiments and the 1st Continental Artillery regiment. With this large group of men were their wives, children, laundresses, and other camp followers, which was typical of the times. Maj. Gen. DeKalb had hoped to be reinforced by state authorities along the way, but little help was provided to him. His army was in Granville County, North Carolina when news arrived that Charleston had fallen. DeKalb's army had no horses or wagons and his men had to carry everything on their backs. Sick, tired, and hungry, his men marched on to Buffalo Ford on the Deep River in North Carolina and made camp there - 125 miles northeast of Camden, SC. The state of North Carolina did not welcome DeKalb nor his army. Former governor Richard Caswell was the brigadier general of the NC militia and he refused to join, cooperate, or communicate regularly with DeKalb. The Maryland and Delaware Continentals were left to starve by the people they were sent to help - the Carolinians. Slight hope came when the news arrived that this army would soon be under the command of Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates. The federal Continental Congress appointed Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates to the Southern Department on June 13, 1780, hoping that militias would rally to him, as the New England militia had in 1777. Previous Southern Department leader, Maj. Gen. Charles Lee warned him upon his departure, "Beware lest you exchange your Northern laurels for Southern willows." A tad prophetic. When Maj. Gen. Gates arrived in Hillsborough on July 13th, he wrote a letter informing Maj. Gen. Baron DeKalb that he was relieved of command - not bothering to tell the man to his face. Maj. Gen. Gates was unhappy about the condition in which he found his army and he sent letters to North Carolina, Deleware, Maryland legislators and to the Continental Congress. He was astounded that there were no supply depots set up for his troops. On July 25th, he finally linked up with his army of 1,500 hungry and anxious men. However, he ignored their pathetic condition and "ordered that the troops to hold themselves in readiness to march at a moment's warning." He assured them that rations were on the way, yet within 72 hours they were marching south to go after the British. This confused the officers and even appeared to some to be treasonous. Maj. Gen. Gates decided to head directly for Camden, South Carolina - to take the fight directly to the British as quickly as possible. His senior leaders advised him to take a different path, but he ignored them all. None of his officers openly questioned his orders, but he finally explained his actions to one of his assistants, Lt. Col. Otho Williams. Maj. Gen. Gates knew that MG Richard Caswell and his NC militia were out in northeastern South Carolina and that they would never come to him - so, he was going to them. He felt that if this NC militia were defeated in a battle before he could unite their forces he would not be able to muster them again. In the meantime, MG Richard Caswell had moved his militia in order to attack a smaller British post at Lynches Ferry. Maj. Gen. Gates alterered his course accordingly, hoping to save Caswell from himself. At that time, Lt. Col. Charles Armand and his cavalry of Wilmington, NC found Maj. Gen. Gates on his way to Lynches Creek. In Maj. Gen. Gates' military career he had not had much experience using cavalry. In the battles around Saratoga he had defeated the British without cavalry. What he didn't know was that in South Carolina every man rode whenever possible - the terrain simply made infantry fighting almost obsolete. Every Continental dragoon regiment would serve in the Carolinas and most Patriot militias in the Carolinas were mounted. The only way to outmaneuver the British was to put the cavalry to full use. Gates did not know this, and apparently he did not care to learn. In one instance he had the cavalry horses pull the wagons though the marshes along his route. At the end of July, Col. Charles Porterfield and his light infantry joined up with Maj. Gen. Gates. Virginians and North Carolinians who had escaped Charleston and the Waxhaws arrived next. Crossing into South Carolina, Maj. Gen. Gates and his army found the fields of green corn flourishing along the banks of the Pee Dee River and the men ate their fill - their first full stomachs in months. On August 4th, Col. Francis Marion rode into camp. Otho Williams wrote, "Colonel Marion, a gentleman of South Carolina, had been with the army a few days, attended to by a very few followers, distinguished by small black leather caps and the wretchedness of their attire; their number did not exceed twenty men and boys, some white, some black, and all mounted, but most of them miserably equipped; their appearance was in fact so burlesque that it was with much difficulty the diversion of the regular soldiery was restrained by the officers; and the general himself was glad of an opportunity of detaching Colonel Marion, at his own instance, towards the interior of South Carolina, with orders to watch the motions of the enemy and furnish intelligence." Maj. Gen. Gates had decided that Col. Marion's comical army was of no use to him in the swamps of South Carolina, and sent them out to gather intelligence and deliver a proclamation to the citizents that he would protect them from "acts of barbarity and devastation." Meanwhile, Francis Lord Rawdon had learned of the battle at Hanging Rock and thought that Col. Thomas Sumter had captured the post. He knew that Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates was approaching Camden but he felt that Col. Sumter's mouted force was a larger threat to the British post. Lord Rawdon called upon all male inhabitants in and around Camden to take up arms. Some did, but 160 of the town's residents refused - and they were promptly tossed into the small Camden jail. Twenty men of the highest standing were manacled to the walls. Lord Rawdon marched his army to the west branch of Lynches Creek towards Granny's Quarter. The next morning he learned that Col. Sumter had not taken Hanging Rock and the post was still in British hands. Rawdon immediately moved to occupy the bridge across the western branch of Lynches Creek. On August 7th, Maj. Gen. Gates rendezvoused with 1,800 North Carolinians under MG Richard Caswell. Both commanders were cordial. Otho Williams wrote, "The reception was gracious, and the general and his suite were regaled with wine and other novelties, exquisitely grateful and pleasingly exhilirating; but, a man must have been intoxicated, not to perceive the confusion which prevailed in the camp - tables, chairs, bedsteads, benches, and many other articles of heavy and cumbrous household stuff, were scattered before the tent doors in great disorder." The combined army marched towards Lynches Creek the next day. Maj. Dean was ordered to escort the women and children back to Charlotte, but most remained because there were no wagons to take them back. Meanwhile, the British fell back to Little Lynches Creek where they met up with reinforcements from Camden. Lord Rawdon posted the Volunteers of Ireland, the 33rd Regiment, the 23rd Regiment of Welsh Fusiliers, and the 71st Regiment (Highlanders) at the creek. He wanted to delay the approach of Maj. Gen. Gates while he waited for British cavalry from Charleston and light infantry from Ninety-Six. Rawdon was outnumbered four to one and if he attacked then the Patriots would have easily defeated him. He did not wish to retreat to defend Camden since Gates would be able to capture many British stores there. Maj. Gen. Gates made a move as if to flank the British defenses located there. A skirmish followed when Armand's Legion drove in some of the British sentries, but the creek banks were too steep, muddy, and slippery, and the swamp was too wide. A cornet of Armand's Legion was captured. Gates did not want to make a frontal attack and remarked that to do so would be "taking the bull by the horns." The Patriots did engage the British with long-range rifle fire, but to no effect. After a two day wait, Gates moved up the creek and crossed. Since he had been flanked, and not wanting to risk a major fight, Lord Rawdon withdrew back to Camden and set up camp once again in Log Town. He later wrote that his main objective had been to slow down Gates so that Cornwallis would have time to bring reinforcements. Neither army could see each other across the river due to thick woods. Gates could not move across the river so he moved his army to Rugeley's Mill by way of Hanging Rock. This took him 35 miles from Camden, where he had been only 15 miles away beforehand. Gates arrived at his desired location on August 15th and waited for the arrival of Col. Thomas Sumter and his militia. Next would be the Battle of Camden. |
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Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates - Commanding Officer Continental Forces led by Maj. Gen. Johann-Alexandre von Robaii, Baron DeKalb in the following units: MD 1st Brigade led by Maj. Gen. William Smallwood with 400 men in the following units: MD 1st Regiment led by Lt. Col. Peter Adams, with Maj. Levin Winder, Capt. George Anderson, and Capt. William Bruce MD 3rd Regiment led by Maj. Archibald Anderson, with Capt. Jacob Brice, Capt. John Smith, and Capt. Lilburn Williams MD 5th Regiment led by Col. William Richardson, with Capt. Perry Benson, Capt. Richard Bird, Capt. James Bruff, and Capt. Adam Hoops MD 7th Regiment led by Col. John Gunby, with Capt. Jonathan Morris MD 2nd Brigade led by Brig. Gen. Mordecai Gist with 500 men in the following units: MD 2nd Regiment led by Lt. Col. John Eager Howard, with Capt-Lt. John Hardman, Capt. Edward Duvall, and Capt. John Gassaway MD 4th Regiment led by Col. Josiah Carvel Hall, with Capt. Edward Oldham MD 6th Regiment led by Lt. Col. Benjamin Ford, with Capt-Lt. Nathan Williams and Capt. James Somervell The DE Regiment led by Lt. Col. Joseph Vaughan with 280 men
in the following units: Armand's Legion of Horse & Foot led by Lt. Col. Charles Tuffin Armand with the following units: Cavalry led by Count Nicholas Dietrick, Baron von Ottendorff
with 60 men Maj. Nelson's Regiment of VA State Cavalry led by Capt. Edmund
Read, with 62 men in the following units: Continental Artillery led by Col. Charles Harrison with 100 men in the following units: 1st Continental Artillery Regiment of VA - Capt. William Meredith, with Capt.-Lt. John Blair, Capt. William L. Pierce, with 2 guns 1st MD Continental Artillery Company led by Capt. Richard Dorsey, with Capt.-Lt. Ambrose Bohannon, with 2 guns 2nd MD & 3rd MD Continental Artillery led by Capt. Anthony Singleton, with Capt.-Lt. Lewis Booker and Capt.-Lt. Richard Waters, with 4 guns VA State Artillery Regiment led by Lt. Col. Elias Edmunds, with Capt. John Watlington VA State Troops, Light Infantry led by Lt. Col. Charles Porterfield,
with six (6) known companies: NC Light Infantry (a temporary unit of NC State Troops) led by Maj. John Armstrong with 68 men NC State Militia led by Maj. Gen. Richard Caswell, Col. Thomas Blount (Adjutant General), Col. John Sitgreaves (Staff), Col. Benjamin Williams (Staff), Col. John Pugh Williams (Staff), Lt. Col. William Polk (Aide-de-Camp), and Adjutant William Haily, with 1,800 men in the following units: Hillsborough District Brigade of Militia led by Brig. Gen. John Butler, with the following two (2) known regiments: Orange County Regiment of Militia detachment, led by Col.
John Collier, Lt. Col. Drury Ledbetter, Maj. William McCauley,
and Maj. Joseph Sharpe, with the following eight (8) known companies,
led by: Caswell County Regiment of Militia detachment, led by Lt.
Col. Henry "Hal" Dixon, Lt. Col. Stephen Moore, Maj.
Micajah Lewis, and Maj. John Nall with five (5) known companies,
led by: Salisbury District Brigade of Militia led by Brig. Gen. Griffith Rutherford, Lt. Col. David Love, and Major Thomas Harris (Aide-de-Camp), with the following four (4) known regiments: Surry County Regiment of Militia detachment, led by Col. Martin
Armstrong, with the following two (2) known companies, led by: Lincoln County Regiment of Militia detachment of one (1) known
company, led by: Mecklenburg County Regiment of Militia detachment led by Col.
George Alexander, with the following one (1) known company, led
by: Rowan County Regiment of Militia detachment, led by Col. Francis
Locke, with three (3) known companies, led by: Halifax District Brigade of Militia detachment, led by Col. Jeptha Eatherton, with three (3) known regiments: Franklin County Regiment of Militia detachment, led by Lt.
Col. William Brickell, with two (2) known companies, led by: Warren County Regiment of Militia detachment led by Maj. Agrippa
Nichols, with of one (1) known company, led by: Northampton County Regiment of Militia detachment, led by
Maj. Robert Peoples, with one (1) known company, led by: New Bern District Brigade of Militia, led by Col. Benjamin Exum and Maj. John Nall, with two (2) known regiments: Craven County Regiment of Militia detachment of one (1) known
company, led by: Pitt County Regiment of Militia detachment of one (1) known
company, led by Wilmington District Brigade of Militia detachment led by Col.
Thomas Owen (Bladen County) with one (1) known company, led by: VA Militia Brigade led by Brig. Gen. Edward Stevens and the following units: Louisa County Militia (VA) - Col. George Stubblefield, with Lt. Col. Joseph Spencer, Maj. William Moseley, and Capt. John Byers Pittsylvania County Militia (VA) - Capt. Thomas Roberts Culpepper County Militia (VA) - Capt. William Stanton Fauquier County Militia (VA) - Capt. Elias Edmuncs Amelia County Militia (VA) - Lt. Col. Holt Richardson, with Maj. John Bias, Capt. William Craddock Caroline County Militia (VA) - Capt. James Johnson Hanover County Militia (VA) - Capt. John Price Bedford County Militia (VA) - Capt. Nathaniel Tate and Capt. Thomas Leftwich Chesterfield County Militia (VA) - Lt. Col. Ralph Faulkner, with Capt. Archibald Walthal and Capt. Booker Lunenburg County Militia (VA) - Capt. Walker Dinwiddie County Militia (VA) - Capt. George Pegram Mecklenburgh County Militia (VA) - Col. James Lucas Amherst County Militia (VA) - Capt. Azariah Martin Halifax County Militia (VA) - Col. Lawson, with Capt. Paul Wattington Charlotte County Militia (VA) - Col. Downman, with Maj. Henry Conway and Capt. Thomas Williams Pittsylvania County Militia (VA) - Capt. Isaac Clement, Capt. William Dix, and Capt. Peter Perkins Henry County Militia (VA) - Capt. Cunningham and Capt. George Waller Powhatan County Militia (VA) - Col. William May |
Francis, Lord Rawdon - Commanding Officer Volunteers of Ireland led by Col. Francis Lord Rawdon 33rd Regiment of Foot led by Maj. William Dancey 23rd Regiment of Foot (Royal Welsh Fusiliers) led by Lt. Col. Nesbit Balfour 71st Regiment of Foot (Fraser's Highlanders) led by Lt. Col. Alexander McDonald - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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© 2011 - J.D. Lewis - PO Box 1188 - Little River, SC 29566 - All Rights Reserved