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THE BATTLE OF CAMDEN. 363
" Fortunately, a small quantity of Indian corn was immediately brought into camp—
the mill was set to work, and as soon as a mess of meal was ground it was delivered out
to the men; and so, in rotation, they were all served in the course of a few hours—more
poor cattle were sacrificed—the camp kettles were all engaged—the men were busy, but
silent, until they had each taken his repast; and then all was again content, cheerfulness
and mirth. It was as astonishing as it was pleasing, to observe the transition."
General Gates observed all that was passing in the camp, and the critical
disposition of his troops. Conscious that he was accountable to the army for
the steps he had taken, he told Colonel Williams, his deputy adjutant-general,
that he had in a measure been forced to take tho route he had done, from
the fact that General Caswell and his militia had failed to form a junction
with the main army. "Dangerous as deceptions had been," says Colonel
Williams, "it was still thought expedient to flatter the expectation of the
soldiery with an abundance of provisions, so soon as a junction could be
formed with the militia; therefore, after collecting all the corn which was to
be found in the neighborhood of May's Mill, and huckstering all the meal
that could be spared from our present necessities, the march was resumed
towards Camden." On August 7, 1780, the much desired junction took
place with the North Carolina militia at the Cross Roads, about fifteen miles
east of the enemy's position, on Lynch's Creek. On the 13th, they encamped
at Clermont, otherwise called Rugley's Mills, about twelve miles from
Camden, and on the following day were reinforced by a brigade of seven
hundred militia, under General Stevens.
On the approach of Gates, Lord Rawdon had concentrated his forces at
Camden, in a position flanked by the Wateree river and Pine-Tree Creek,
and strengthened with redoubts. He was joined here on the 14th by Lord
Cornwallis. On the same day General Sumpter desiring to capture the
enemy's wagon train from Charleston, sent an express to General Gates soliciting a reinforcement of regulars. Gates accordingly sent Colonel Woolford,
of the Maryland Line, with one hundred regulars, a party of artillery, and two
brass field-pieces. With a view to support Sumpter and to occupy the attention of the enemy, Gates moved with his main force to take post about seven
miles from Camden. On the same evening, the 15th of August, by a singular
coincidence, Lord Cornwallis, with a force of three thousand men had
marched out of Camden to attack the American camp at Clermont. Both
armies, ignorant of each other's intentions, moved about the same
hour of the night, and approaching each other, met about half war
between their respective encampments, at midnight of the 15th of August.
The first intimation of the approach of the two armies was given by a heavy
skirmish which took place between their advanced guards. The cavalry of
Armand's legion, which was in the American advance, were soon thrown into
confusion, and recoiling suddenly on the first Maryland brigade, occasioned a
general disorder, in which Lieutenant Colonel Porterfield, of the Virginia
regulars, was mortally wounded. Order, however, was soon restored, and the
| Title | History of Maryland - 2 |
| Creator | Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas) |
| Publisher | J. B. Piet |
| Place of Publication | Baltimore |
| Date | 1879 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Title | 00000400 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | THE BATTLE OF CAMDEN. 363 " Fortunately, a small quantity of Indian corn was immediately brought into camp— the mill was set to work, and as soon as a mess of meal was ground it was delivered out to the men; and so, in rotation, they were all served in the course of a few hours—more poor cattle were sacrificed—the camp kettles were all engaged—the men were busy, but silent, until they had each taken his repast; and then all was again content, cheerfulness and mirth. It was as astonishing as it was pleasing, to observe the transition." General Gates observed all that was passing in the camp, and the critical disposition of his troops. Conscious that he was accountable to the army for the steps he had taken, he told Colonel Williams, his deputy adjutant-general, that he had in a measure been forced to take tho route he had done, from the fact that General Caswell and his militia had failed to form a junction with the main army. "Dangerous as deceptions had been," says Colonel Williams, "it was still thought expedient to flatter the expectation of the soldiery with an abundance of provisions, so soon as a junction could be formed with the militia; therefore, after collecting all the corn which was to be found in the neighborhood of May's Mill, and huckstering all the meal that could be spared from our present necessities, the march was resumed towards Camden." On August 7, 1780, the much desired junction took place with the North Carolina militia at the Cross Roads, about fifteen miles east of the enemy's position, on Lynch's Creek. On the 13th, they encamped at Clermont, otherwise called Rugley's Mills, about twelve miles from Camden, and on the following day were reinforced by a brigade of seven hundred militia, under General Stevens. On the approach of Gates, Lord Rawdon had concentrated his forces at Camden, in a position flanked by the Wateree river and Pine-Tree Creek, and strengthened with redoubts. He was joined here on the 14th by Lord Cornwallis. On the same day General Sumpter desiring to capture the enemy's wagon train from Charleston, sent an express to General Gates soliciting a reinforcement of regulars. Gates accordingly sent Colonel Woolford, of the Maryland Line, with one hundred regulars, a party of artillery, and two brass field-pieces. With a view to support Sumpter and to occupy the attention of the enemy, Gates moved with his main force to take post about seven miles from Camden. On the same evening, the 15th of August, by a singular coincidence, Lord Cornwallis, with a force of three thousand men had marched out of Camden to attack the American camp at Clermont. Both armies, ignorant of each other's intentions, moved about the same hour of the night, and approaching each other, met about half war between their respective encampments, at midnight of the 15th of August. The first intimation of the approach of the two armies was given by a heavy skirmish which took place between their advanced guards. The cavalry of Armand's legion, which was in the American advance, were soon thrown into confusion, and recoiling suddenly on the first Maryland brigade, occasioned a general disorder, in which Lieutenant Colonel Porterfield, of the Virginia regulars, was mortally wounded. Order, however, was soon restored, and the |
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