The Battle of Camden, South Carolina, August 16, 1780

Transcription

1 The Battle of Camden, South Carolina, August 16, 1780 Last updated: 15 th August 2018 This Volley & Bayonet scenario has been developed by Paul Reynolds. Background The Battle of Camden was not what either commander had intended. The American General Gates had planned to catch the mainly provincial and militia forces garrisoning the British outpost of Camden unprepared. Earl Cornwallis had reinforced the outpost with regular British troops and planned to attack the American army s camp at daybreak. This lead to both armies setting out late on the night of 15 August. The Americans heading south down the road to Camden, the British heading north up the same road towards the American camp at Rugeley's Mill. At about 2:00am the light forces of Armand s Legion and the British Legion clashed in the dark. Both commanders hastily deployed their forces in the woodland either side of the road and awaited dawn. General Gates, perhaps mislead by his victory at Saratoga and not fully aware of the strength of the reinforcements that Cornwallis had brought launched an all-out attack. This was meet by a steady advance from the British. The British regulars overwhelmed the American Militia while the American Continentals made progress against the British Provincials and Militia. As the American Militia fled the British regulars wheeled left and took the Continentals in the flank leading to the most complete American defeat of the War of Independence.

2 Rules & Figures This game uses the Volley & Bayonet rules by Frank Chadwick and Greg Novak with Greg s modifications for Wing Scale combat in the Americas. Ground Scale 1 inch : 25 yards (1mm : 1m) Time Scale 1 turn : 15 minutes Troop Scale 1 stand : men Figures 760 Pendraken 10mm (1/150 scale) Scenario This game recreates the battle of Camden and allows the players to examine what could have happened if General Gates, in particular, had adopted different tactics. The map above shows the terrain and the deployment line of both forces. The historic deployment is show for information only. In the predawn darkness both forces deployed at right angles to the road, unsure of the enemy s strength or deployment. Before the troops are deployed each brigade is instructed what to do when the battle begins and will follow those orders until enemy forces or friendly forces in combat are seen through the trees. Once an enemy unit or friendly unit in combat is seen by part of a brigade that is in command all parts of that brigade that are in command may act as desired by the player restricted only by the normal Volley and Bayonet rules. The Americans will move first. Americans The American forces deploy historically with the Militia Division on the left of the road and the Advanced Brigade behind them. The Continental Division is deployed to the right of the road. The artillery may be deployed as desired by the American players. The deployment of the troops of each division/brigade is left to the player s discretion. If there are two American players they should command one Continental and two Militia brigades each. One player will be in overall command and distribute the Artillery as desired, the other will command the Advance Brigade. If there are three American players two should command one Continental and one Militia Brigade each. The third should command the Advanced Brigade and two Militia brigades. One player will be in overall command and distribute the Artillery as desired. British The British forces deploy historically with the Loyalist Brigade to the left of the road and the Regular Brigade to the right of the road. The Reserve Brigade is deployed behind these brigades astride the road and the British Legion Cavalry is deployed behind the Reserve in column on the road. The deployment of the troops of each brigade is left to the player s discretion. If there are two British players one should command the Regular Brigade and the British Legion Cavalry while the other commands the Loyalist and the Reserve brigades. If there are three British players one should command each brigade with the commander of the Loyalist Brigade also commanding the British Legion Cavalry.

3 Victory conditions Given the historic outcome of the battle and the forces involved the American army is likely to be defeated. The degree of this defeat will indicate how much better or worse the players performed than their historic counter parts. The British gain one victory point for each American Militia Brigade, including the Advance Brigade, that is exhausted or two if the brigade collapses at least once. The British gain two victory points for each American Continental Brigade that is exhausted or four if the brigade collapses at least once. The Americans gain two victory points for each British regular stand (except detachments) that rout at least once or are destroyed and one victory point for each loyalist stand (except detachments) that rout at least once or are destroyed. If the difference in victory points is: 10 or more the side with the higher score has won a decisive victory 5 to 9 the side with the higher score has won a victory 1 to 4 the side with the higher score has a winning draw 0 the game is a draw.

4 British Southern Army Camden, South Carolina, August 16, 1780 Lt Gen Lord Charles Cornwallis AC Loyalist Brigade Exhaustion 10 Lt Col Francis Rawdon BC Royal and British Legion Artillery (3 x 3-pdr) 3-6 Lt Royal North Carolina Regiment (267) - Lt Col John Hamilton UC, PT, 2-5 FI NE PT Loyalist Militia (202) - Col Samuel Bryan UC, 2x 2-4 SI MIL Volunteers of Ireland (303) - Cpt John Campbell UC, 2x British Legion - Cpt Patrick Stewart UC, S Regular Brigade Exhaustion 10 Lt Col James Webster BC British Light Infantry (3 cos = 148) 3x 1-6 FI S Royal Artillery (2 x 6-pdr) 2-6 Fd 23 rd Regiment of Foot (8 cos = 292) - Maj Frederick MacKenzie UC, 2x 3-6 FI 33 rd Regiment of Foot (5 cos = 298) - Cpt Frederick Cornwallis UC, 2x 3-6 FI Sh Reserve Brigade Exhaustion 5 Commanded by Cornwallis 71 st Highland Regiment - Cpt Hugh Campbell UC 1 st Bn/71 st Highland Regiment (154) 3-5 FI Sh 2 nd Bn/71 st Highland Regiment (110) 2-5 FI Sh Corps of Guides and Pioneers (28) 1-5 FI NE S Royal Artillery (2 x 6-pdr) 2-6 Fd British Legion Exhaustion 2 Lt Col Banastre Tarleton BC British Legion Dragoons (181) 4x 1-5 LC

5 American Southern Army 1/2 Camden, South Carolina, August 16, 1780 Maj Gen Horatio Gates AC Col Otho Williams (AdC) WC may command any American unit Continental Artillery/Army Troops Captain Anthony Singleton UC may command any American Artillery Dorsey s (Maryland) & Meredeth's (Virginia) Sections, Continental Artillery (2x 3-pdr, 2x 2-pdr) 3-5 Lt Booker s (Maryland) Section, Continental Artillery (2x 6-pdr) 2-5 Fd Water s (Maryland) Section, Continental Artillery (2x 6-pdr) 2-5 Fd Continental Division (1,200) Maj Gen Baron de Kalb WC 1 st Maryland Brigade Exhaustion 6 Maj Gen William Smallwood BC 1 st Maryland Regiment (120) 2-5 FI NE 3 rd Maryland Regiment (200) 2x 2-5 FI NE 5 th Maryland Regiment (125) 7 th Maryland Regiment (150) 2 nd Maryland Brigade Exhaustion 6 Bde Gen Mordecai Gist BC Delaware Regiment (200) 2x 2-6 FI 2 nd Maryland Regiment (120) 2-5 FI NE 4 th Maryland Regiment (160) 6 th Maryland Regiment (140)

6 American Southern Army 2/2 Camden, South Carolina, August 16, 1780 Advance Brigade Exhaustion 4 Colonel Charles Armand BC Armand s Legion Cavalry (3 troops = 60) 1-5 LC Armand s Legion Foot (2 cos = 60) 1-5 FI NE S Nelson's Virginia State Cavalry Regiment (62) 1-4 LC Pinckney s S.C. Volunteer Mounted Infantry (70) 1-4 LC PT Porterfield s Virginia Light Infantry (100) 2-5 FI NE S Armstrong s Militia Light Infantry (136 from 1 st North Carolina and Virginia Militia Brigades) 3-4 FI NE PT S Militia Division ( ) Maj Gen Richard Caswell WC 1 st North Carolina Militia Brigade (600-68) Exhaustion 4 Bde Gen John Butler BC 2-4 SI MIL 2 nd North Carolina Militia Brigade (600) Exhaustion 5 Bde Gen Griffith Rutherford BC 3 rd North Carolina Militia Brigade (600) Exhaustion 5 Bde Gen Isaac Gregory BC Virginia Militia Brigade (700-68) Exhaustion 5 Bde Gen Edward Stevens BC