Hi from Wyoming

[Randy]

Dave, thanks. I have that book. It's a good one. I'll have to read it again before I make that trip. I hope to do the tour you suggest at Wilmington.
Maybe Camden was never made into a park because it was such a humiliating defeat for the Americans. Gen. Gates ran away from the battlefield and didn't stop running until he got to New Jersey, or so I've read.  I think that's a riot. Did you see the movie "The Patriot" with Mel Gibson? I thought it was horrible, and couldn't stop talking back at the screen, it was so dumb. I was with my nephew, and he nearly walked out on me. It was a thrill for me to see the Gainsborough portrait of Tarleton in the Nat'l Portrait Gallery in London last year, even though he was pretty much a despicable character. But war is hell, as somebody once said.

[SonicMan46]

Dave, thanks. I have that book. It's a good one. I'll have to read it again before I make that trip. I hope to do the tour you suggest at Wilmington.
Maybe Camden was never made into a park because it was such a humiliating defeat for the Americans. Gen. Gates ran away from the battlefield and didn't stop running until he got to New Jersey, or so I've read.  I think that's a riot. Did you see the movie "The Patriot" with Mel Gibson? I thought it was horrible, and couldn't stop talking back at the screen, it was so dumb. I was with my nephew, and he nearly walked out on me. It was a thrill for me to see the Gainsborough portrait of Tarleton in the Nat'l Portrait Gallery in London last year, even though he was pretty much a despicable character. But war is hell, as somebody once said.

Hi Randy - looks like you're already ahead of me if you own the book mentioned!  Horatio Gates was certainly a PITA in George's rump!  Gates claimed the victory at Saratoga in 1777 while sitting safely in his headquarters as Arnold, Morgan, et al did the leading & fighting to win the battle!  Then at Camden, that horse escaped as his army was being defeated and de Kalb about to be killed sealed his fate - think that he reached Charlotte at the end of the same day; the colonial roads back then would have taken him to Salisbury and then Hillsborough near Durham/Chapel Hill and the VA border - believe me might have finally stopped running in Hillsborough (but just from memory, now).

If you do a visit to the Wilmington area, there are plenty of interesting sites to see; one is the Cape Fear Museum of History & Science on Market St (between 9th & 10th I believe) - has a brief but helpful introduction to the history of the area plus a lighted diorama of the Ft. Fischer battle.  A boat ride on the Cape Fear River gives a little more history of the city and some nice views from the water.  The USS North Carolina, a large WWII battleship is moored across the river (a boat shuttle or an easy drive across the HW17 bridge).  Finally, if you take the ferry from Ft. Fischer to Southport (Bald Head Island dock there), you can either return on the ferry or leave Southport and go up the west bank of the river back to Wilmington; the latter route provides some additional options, i.e. Old Brunswick Town and the Orton Plantation - Dave 

[Randy]

Thanks, Dave. You should be working for the chamber of commerce, but I am a sucker for all things historical. Google, "Randy Brown, Oregon-Calfornia Trail" and you will see references to some of my Oregon Trail work here in Wyoming and other states. A fun hobby, and a field where original work can still be done.

Gates was a piece of work. He was just hard to get rid of, but his performance at Camden did the trick, once and for all.