The Battle of Camden during the American Revolutionary War is one of the most notorious battles to ever take place on U.S. soil.
The Battle of Camden occurred on August 16, 1780. The evening before the battle, General Horatio Gates' patriot forces suffered dysentery. Despite their illness, Gates decided the soldiers would engage the British army the following morning. Although the patriots initially had the advantage, they had decreased by 25% because only 3,000 rebel soldiers were healthy enough to take the field after their ailments the previous evening. The issue that eventually brought the Continental army to its demise was the lack of bayonets. Due to the lack of arsenal and manpower, the patriots suffered a harsh defeat, failing in making any progress against General Lord Charles Cornwallis' British forces.
