Untitled - the Digital Library of Georgia

GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 289
Bishop Stevens, in Volume II of his authoritative work, gives an excellent account
of the battle of Kettle Creek. Says he: *
'' The enemy having effected a passage into Georgia, Pickens and Dooly, now
joined by Colonel Clarke, resolved to follow; and they accordingly crossed the Savan
nah on February 12, 1779, and camped the following night within four miles of the
enemy. Forming the line of march in the order of battle, the Americans now pre
pared once more, at a great disadvantage of numbers, to contest with the Tories
for the supremacy of Upper Georgia. Much depended on this battle. If Boyd
should be successful in driving back the Americans, under such men as Pickens and
.Dooly and Clarke, he might rest assured that no further molestation, at least for a
very long time, would follow, and all would yield to the British power; while, on
the other hand, should the Americans be successful, it would not only crush the Tory
power, already so galling to the people, but protect them from further insult, and
give a stimulus to American courage, which a long series of disasters made essential.
It was a moment big with the fate of Upper Georgia.
"Boyd, with a carelessness evincing great lack of military skill and prudence,
had halted on the morning of the 14th of February [1779 1], at a farm near Kettle
Creek, in Wilkes County, having no suspicion of the near approach of the Americans,
and his army was dispersed in various directions, killing and gathering stock, cooking
and other operations. Having reeonnoitered the enemy's position, the Americans,
under Pickens, advanced in three divisions: the right under Colonel Dooly, the left
under Colonel Clarke, and the center led by the commander himself, with orders not
to fire a gun until within at least thirty paces. As the center, led by Pickens,
marched to the attack, Boyd met them, at the head of a select party, his line bein'g
protected by a fence filled with fallen timber, which gave him a great advantage over
the troops in his front. Observing this half-formed abatis, Pickens filed off to a
rising ground on his right, and thence gaining the flank of Boyd rushed upon him
with great bravery—the enemy fleeing when they saw the leader shot down before
them. He was sustained in this charge by Dooly and Clarke, and the enemy, after
fighting with great bravery, retired across the creek, but were rallied by Major
Spurgen, on. a hill beyond, where the battle was again renewed with fierceness.
'' But Colonel Clarke, with about fifty Georgians, having discovered a path leading
to a ford, pushed through it, though in doing so he encountered a severe fire and
his horse shot down under him, and, by a circuitous route, rose upon the hill in the
rear of Spurgen, when, opening a deadly fire, the enemy, hemmed in on both sides,
fled, and were hotly pursued by the victors, until the conquest was complete. For an
hour and a half, under great disadvantage, and against a force almost double,
had the Americans maintained the unequal contest, and, though once or twice it
seemed as if they must give way, especially when the Tories had gained the hill, and
were reinforced under Spurgen; yet the masterly stroke of Clarke, with his few
brave Georgians, turned the scale, and victory, bloody indeed but complete, was
ours."
Capt. Hugh McCall, who was present at the battle of Kettle Creek, thus describes
the death of the famous Tory leader. Says he: " After the action was ended,
Colonel Piekens went to Colonel Boyd and tendered him any services which his
present situation would authorize, and observed that, since his wounds appeared to
be mortal, he would recommend those preparations which approaching death re
quired. Boyd thanked him for his civilities and inquired the result of the battle.
Upon being informed that victory was with the Americans, he observed that it
would have been otherwise if he had not fallen. He said that he had marched from
his rendezvous with eight hundred men, of which number one hundred were killed
and wounded, or deserted at the Savannah. River; and that on the morning of the
action there were seven hundred men under his command. He had the promise of
Colonel Campbell that McGirth, with five hundred men, should join him at) Little
Eiver, about six miles from the field of battle, on the same evening or on the ensuing
day and he concluded by saying that he had but a few hours to live, and requested
that Colonel Pickens would leave two men with him to furnish him with water and
to bury him after lie died; also that Colonel Pickens would write a letter to Mrs.
Boyd to inform her of his fate, and therewith send her a few articles which he had
* William Bacon Stevens, in Vol. II, "History of Georgia," New York, 1847.
Vol. 1—19