Stirring Up a Hornet's Nest: - UGA Laboratory of Archaeology ...

was short by at least 30 men, in addition to those lost in the previous fighting at the Savannah River, at the
time of the battle.
The Loyalists were soundly defeated at Kettle Creek. Less than 100 were killed or wounded, approximately
150 were ultimately captured, and the remaining men fled in various directions. Only about 250 of them
would eventually unite with the British Army. Others, who were discouraged by the chain of events, likely
returned to their homes in the Carolinas. Patriot losses in the engagement included about 32 killed or
wounded. The battle resulted in the dismantling of one Loyalist militia regiment at a time when the British
invaders desperately needed their support. The commanding officers, Lieutenant Colonel Campbell and
Major General Augustin Prevost, were immediately disappointed and surprised by the lack of dependable
Loyalist support in the South. This put a damper on the British expectation of a quick victory in the South.
Coincidentally, General Prevost wrote to Sir Henry Clinton from his headquarters at Ebenezer, Georgia on
the day of the Kettle Creek battle, in which he affirmed his belief that the chief purpose of the southern
expedition was to encourage an uprising among the “back inhabitants” of North and South Carolina
(Prevost 1779g: 1-6). A stalemate developed between the British on the west side of the Savannah River
and the Patriots on the east side. Some historians consider the Patriot victory at Kettle Creek to be a
significant turning point in the British campaign in the South, which led to a prolongation of the American
Revolution.
As Robert Scott Davis, Jr. (2003), noted historian of Kettle Creek battle, concluded, the battle at Kettle
Creek was not on a grand scale, especially when compared to other epic battles. It was not even a large
battle compared to other Revolutionary War engagements. The numbers of killed, wounded, captured and
missing were relatively modest. Yet, the Loyalist defeat at Kettle Creek had a resounding muting effect on
the Loyalists in the South. It also boosted the morale of the Patriots as it stood as one victory in a sea of
defeats. The importance of the battle of Kettle Creek in the American and British mindsets is explored in
this document through a combination of archaeological, biographical, historical, and geographical studies.
In February 2008 a team of historical archeologists returned to the Kettle Creek battlefield to conduct a
“forensic” investigation, 229 years later. The team gathered historical documents and original testimony
about the battle, located battlefield clues including artifacts and various aspects of the battlefield landscape,
analyzed various battle scenarios presented by previous sleuths, and prepared this report of summary
findings. The battle of Kettle Creek was without a doubt a cold case file. A comprehensive research
approach, termed “Battlefield Archeology,” was used to solve this case. This systematic study used the
battle evidence to create an improved interpretation of what happened at Kettle Creek. As a result we now
have firmly established landmarks associated with the battle and physical evidence of the battle. Together,
this battle landscape and the information derived from the tangible remains allows for an improved story of
a very important event in Georgia and American history.
BPROJECT ENVIRONMENT
The topography of the study area consists of rolling, dissected ridges and limited areas of flat floodplain.
The project area is located in southwestern Wilkes County, Georgia in the Kettle Creek watershed (Figure
1). The Philomath 7.5 minute U.S.G.S. quadrangle sheet identifies the series of knolls and ridges, west of
the historical monument, as War Hill (U.S.G.S. 1991). The small knoll that contains the monument is
referred to here as Monument Hill for discussion purposes.
The geology of the study area consists of highly weathered Piedmont metamorphic and igneous rocks. The
red clay soils of the uplands are derived from extensively weathered feldspars. The area is tectonically
active and was the epicenter of a minor tremor in 2003 (GoogleEarth.com 2008).
The hydrology of the study area consists of Kettle Creek and its tributary stream and springheads. A small
branch, which is located at the northern foot of War Hill, is known locally as Kelly Branch, although that
name does not appear on any published maps of the area. Another minor branch is located on the opposite
side of Kettle Creek. The confluence of these two branches is located near each other and west of
Monument Hill.
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