Camden 1780 via Bloody Big Battles - Cornwallis vs. Gates

We tested my reworked Camden scenario with the historical deployment. My premise is that the historical deployment should see a Crown victory. Jay led the Continentals and I was Cornwallis. Andrew showed later with Dunkel and cheered the carnage. The field is simple, a fairly open area with swampy ground on each flank, impassable to artillery, difficult for others.

 

Many sources claim even more NC Militia (all Continental forces in italics) than I show, while maps indicate they had a fairly small frontage. That’s why they’re two and three lines deep here.

 

I forgot a picture of the starting deployment but here’s the first British turn.

Adding text to the photos I mistakenly started naming the 23^rd (plus Light Infantry) the 33^rd. The 33^rd was routed by hot enemy dice. All photos after this show the mislabeled 23^rd. Mea culpa.

I goofed here and had the Legion cavalry pass through the 71^st and attack Smallwood’s regulars, who were in good order. They emptied saddles, removing a base and pushing the horsemen back behind the 71^st, where they would keep them from retreating later, when things went badly. They would have done better to fall back in good order. The threat would likely  have stopped Porterfield’s flank move.

Porterfield was routed; the 23^rd exploited and defeated Smallwood.

 

The game went on a turn longer than it should have. I think the last NC militia unit fled during turn 4, which should have ended the game as the Continentals broke. I played the British half of the 5^th turn and Jay threw in the towel. In spite of the hiding he took, he enjoyed the game. Andrew was happy from the sidelines. We all liked the contagious panic. Some time we need to play it with free deployment. It should be a lot closer.

 

We played 4 ½ turns in 135 minutes. There was a lot of action from the start, since the front lines were within 12” of each other.

 

The final losses: British lost 6 infantry bases, 3 ran off, 3 cavalry bases, 1 ran off. Gates lost 12 infantry bases, 17 ran off. 12 British bases against 29. I was uncertain about the victory conditions. It actually worked out better than I thought, a decisive Crown victory. If eliminated Continental regular bases count double, then it was 12 to 35, a thumping victory, something like the actual battle. 3 British units routed, the 33^rd, the 71^st and the Legion Dragoons. The Continentals saw all 5 militia units and Porterfield rout. The British had one unit of NC militia, every bit as bad as any Rebel militia. It lurked in the rear, firing several times near the end of the game.