Camden.

{April 26.}

The number of continental troops engaged in this action amounted to
about twelve hundred[3] men, and the loss in killed, wounded, and
missing, to two hundred and sixty-six. Among the killed was Captain
Beaty, of Maryland, who was mentioned by General Greene as an ornament
to his profession; and among the wounded was Colonel Ford, of
Maryland, a gallant officer, whose wounds proved mortal. The militia
attached to the army amounted to two hundred and sixty-six, of whom
two were missing. The total loss sustained by the British army has
been stated at two hundred and fifty-eight, of whom thirty-eight were
killed in the field.

[Footnote 3: There is some variance between this statement
and that which has been made by Mr. Ramsay and Mr. Gordon,
although their estimates are supposed to have been formed on
the same document--the field return made by the adjutant
general of the southern army, dated the 26th of April. This
return contains a column of the present fit for duty, and
also exhibits the killed, wounded, and missing, but contains
no column of total numbers. Mr. Ramsay and Mr. Gordon are
supposed to have taken the column of present fit for duty as
exhibiting the strength of the army on the day of the
battle; but as this return was made the day after the
action, the author has supposed that the killed, wounded,
and missing, must be added to the numbers fit for duty on
the day of the return, to give the actual strength of the
army at the time of the engagement.]

The plan which the strength of Camden and his own weakness had induced
General Greene originally to adopt, was still substantially pursued.
He remained in the vicinity of that place, and by the activity of his
cavalry, straightened the communication of the garrison with the
neighbouring country. Their distress for provisions had been
considerably increased by the progress of Marion and Lee.

[Sidenote: Several British posts taken.]

Lieutenant Colonel Lee joined Marion a few days after he was detached
from the camp on Deep river; and these two officers commenced their
operations against the line of communication between Camden and
Charleston, by laying siege to fort Watson, which capitulated in a few
days. The acquisition of this fort afforded the means of interrupting
the intercourse between Camden and Charleston, and opposed an obstacle
to the retreat of Lo