September 6, 1780.
Most people here are groaning under a very disagreeable piece of
intelligence just come from the southward, that Gates has had a total
defeat near Camden, in South Carolina. Cornwallis and he met in the
night of the fifteenth, by accident, marching to the same point. The
advanced guards skirmished, and the two armies halted and formed till
morning. In the morning a battle ensued, in which the militia, and
Gates with them, immediately ran away, and left the Continental troops
to contend with the enemy’s whole force.
They did it obstinately, and probably are most of them cut off. Gates,
however, who writes to Congress, seems to know very little what has
become of his army. He showed that age and the long labors and fatigues
of a military life had not in the least impaired his activity, for in
three days and a half he reached Hillsborough, one hundred and eighty
miles from the scene of action, leaving all his troops to take care of
themselves, and get out of the scrape as well as they could.
He has confirmed, in this instance, the opinion I always had of him.
This event will have very serious consequences to the southward.
People’s imaginations have already given up North Carolina and
Virginia; but I do not believe either of them will fall. I am certain
Virginia cannot. This misfortune affects me less than others, because
it is not in my temper to repine at evils that are past, but to
endeavor to draw good out of them, and because I think our safety
depends on a total change of system, and this change of system will
only be produced by misfortune.
A. Hamilton.