The Battle of Camden - photo 1
The Battle of Camden - photo 2

The Battle of Camden

Lot 114
17.01.2024 11:00UTC -05:00
Classic
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$ 5 040
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUSA, New York
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ID 1119181
Lot 114 | The Battle of Camden
Estimate value
$ 3 000 – 5 000
The Battle of Camden

Josiah C. Hall, 28 August 1780

[BATTLE OF CAMDEN] HALL, Josiah Carvil (1746-1814). Autograph letter signed ("Jo. C. Hall") as Colonel of the 4th Maryland Regiment, [near Charlotte, South Carolina,] 28 August [1780].



Two pages, 324 x 206mm (lightly toned at folds and right margin, minor chip and tear at margin).



The commander of the 4th Maryland describes Gates' defeat at Camden. Hall assumes that his correspondent had already "heard of our defeat or rather rout for there was no retreat for us [as] we never attempted to stand till we got to Charlotte about 70 miles from place of action…" Hall, who was positioned in the rear, reports the loss of "the whole of our artillery stores Baggage &c[.]" Despite the defeat, he concedes that "the Maryl[an]d Division acquired a great deal of honor even from the enimy," although "it was purchased at a great expence," noting that they "lost one half the men we carried into action the quarter part of those killed in the field. This is the 4th general defeat I have been in." Hall writes that the action began well enough: "pushed the enimy some distance & continued the action … untill Cornwallis discovered our whole left wing had given way…" and ordered his troops to advance, and "with both flanks exposed so that they were surrounded & broke before us tho they behaved as well as men could. Of the militia who composed 4⁄5 of the whole [force opposing Cornwallis] had behaved tolerably well contrary to my expectation," and added that "we should have obtained a compleat victory being fully persuaded of the event from a variety of reasons not proper to be mentioned here…" Hall concludes that the defeat, "tho unfortunate to individuals & to none more so than to Gates," he concludes that "our fate must be decided at N[ew]. York or perhaps rather at Sea. The people have aroused their spirits & have more militia in the field than before the action determined to regain their Credit." Hall is unusually kind to the militia, many of whom ran from the field at the first bayonet charge (most notably the Virginia Militia). But the defeat was the final straw for Washington, and he replaced Gates with Nathanael Greene in command of the Southern Army. Greene, together with Daniel Morgan, would take advantage of the "aroused" spirits of the militia in 1781, turning the tide of the war in the South. That campaign forced Cornwallis to seek refuge and resupply at Yorktown, and the rest is history.

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