Camden 1780, via BBB - Cornwallis vs. Gates - the Scenario

 Camden S.C.  August 16, 1780 each base = 100 infantry, 50 cavalry or 4 guns

 

The fall of Charleston left South Carolina at the will of the British army, save for guerilla activity by Francis Marion and Thomas Sumter. The victor of Saratoga, Horatio Gates, was sent to redress this. He chose a path through country devoid of supplies against the advice of his generals. Both armies tried to steal a march in the night. After a confused nighttime encounter that nearly saw panic in Gates’ army, both sides deployed in the dark.  Gates discovered that his army was about 3,000 strong instead of the 7,000 he assumed it was.

 

Continental Army Horatio Gates, 3,350

 

DeKalb Division Firebrand

4        Tr       Smallwood 1^st Md Brigade

6        Tr       Gist 2^nd Md Brigade + Delaware

1        SA      6 lb. guns

Caswell NC Militia Brigade

4 F     Raw   1^st NC

4 F     Raw   2^nd NC

4 F     Raw   3^rd NC

Stevens VA Militia Brigade

4 F     Raw   1^st VA

3 F     Raw   2^nd VA

1        LA      3 lb. guns

Independent units

4 F     Tr       Porterfield State troops, not Continentals

2 F     Tr       Armand’s Legion cavalry

1 Camp or wagon model on baseline behind center.

 

33 infantry bases, 2 artillery, 2 cavalry , 1 leader

 

All Raw infantry is Fragile and Poorly Drilled

DeKalb is a Firebrand and adds +1 in Assault to an attached unit

 

British Army Cornwallis, 2,132

 

Rawdon Brigade Firebrand

4        Tr       Hamilton NC Regt. & Legion Foot

3        Tr       Irish Vols Loyalist

3 F     Raw   Bryan’s NC Vols

1        LA      3 lb. guns

Webster Brigade

3 A     Vet     33^rd Foot

4 A     Vet     23^rd Foot & Lt Infantry

1        SA      6 lb. guns

Reserve directly under Cornwallis

3 A     Vet     71^st Foot Highlanders

4 A     Tr       Legion Dragoons

1 Camp or wagon model on baseline behind center.

 

20 infantry bases, 2 artillery, 4 cavalry, 3 leaders

The Raw NC Vols are Fragile and Poorly Drilled

 

Game lasts 7 turns. British deploy second, move first.

 

Historical deployment map:

https://allthingsliberty.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/BattleMap.jpg

Note how large and small units have similar footprints, a suspicious feature on many maps of this battle. The Historical deployment is heavily balanced against Gates.

 

Scenario rules: All Raw Continental units start out with a disrupted marker, upset by the misguided order to attack the British. If two Rebel units rout, Gates flees and all Raw units also become passive. Units that  exploit may loot the enemy camp. A unit must roll a full move to stop looting.

Victory: both sides are trying to break the enemy army. Each army breaks when 5 units and/or leaders have been destroyed or routed off the table. Each leader, Trained Continental base (not State troops) or camp looted lost counts as 2, other bases count as 1 each. If your score is twice the enemy score or more it is a decisive victory. If at least 50% more it is a substantial victory. Otherwise, a higher score earns a marginal victory.

 

Summary: Gates’ left and center contained his least dependable units, facing the best British units. The Virginia and North Carolina militia, ordered to attack the British, instead became disordered. Panicking at the British advance, many threw down their weapons without firing a shot. They fled the field, taking Gates with them. He abandoned the army, riding 180 miles in three days. He must have had a fine horse. De Kalb was giving Rawdon’s brigade a very hard time, until flanked by the British right wing and reserve. De Kalb was mortally wounded, shot and bayoneted many times, fighting like a lion until the end. It was one of the worst American defeats of the war. Both Gates and De Kalb have streets and subway stations named for them in Brooklyn, Gates surely for Saratoga rather than this debacle.

 

What if: Gates deploys in a sensible fashion. The British sketch a map of their deployment. Then the Americans deploy within 16” of their table edge, followed by the British within 16” of their table edge according to the sketch. American militia starts without disrupted markers. Surely you can do better.

I have merged various infantry units to avoid a profusion of tiny units.