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

ecorded on December 7, 1773 at Wrightsborough (Davidson 1933, Volume 1:22). No post-Revolutionary
War land records were discovered that link Joseph White to the Kettle Creek vicinity.
John Wilson was issued a plat for 300 acres in 1785 for property on both sides of Cussupy’s Branch, which
is a tributary of Kettle Creek located several miles northwest of the battlefield. Wilson and his wife,
Elizabeth deeded 300 acres on the fork of Kettle creek adjacent to lands of Benjamin Riden to Joseph
Catchings on April 17, 1788 (Wilkes County Deed Book EE, 1788-1790:74). One interesting feature shown
on Wilson’s 300 acre plat is the “Whitelick Path,” which followed a nearly east-west course. The path
probably led to the Great Buffalo Lick, which was mentioned by botanist William Bartram, who visited the
area in 1773. The Buffalo Lick is located in present-day Oglethorpe County, near Cherokee Corner. The
lick was a mineral deposit that attracted large game animals, including bison and white-tailed deer. This
trail no doubt had great antiquity and was a well-traveled path.
On April 9, 1794 Daniel Price, Wilkes County Tax Commissioner was ordered to pay William Crawford
for building a bridge across Kettle creek (Wilkes County, Minutes of Inferior Court 1793-1794:10;
Davidson 1933, Volume 1:126). The exact location of Crawford’s bridge was not identified by the present
research. The bridge was probably not at the Kettle Creek ford, where the battle took place, but probably
located further downstream.
Current Landowners
The current landowners of property containing evidence of the Kettle Creek battle were identified from
Wilkes County tax appraisal maps. These landowners included Wilkes County, Plum Creek Timberlands,
Robert McBay, and Mark Prior. Wilkes County owns approximately 14 acres surrounding the Wilkes
County Battlefield Monument. This land holding is comprised of two contiguous parcels. The original 12
acre tract was created for purposes of creating a battlefield memorial, as described earlier in this chapter.
An additional two acres east of the 12 acre tract was acquired by Wilkes County from Plum Creek
Timberlands, Limited Partnership [LP]. Plum Creek Timberlands, LP, owns a large tract that surrounds the
Wilkes County property on the east side of Kettle Creek. Robert McBay owns a large tract on the west side
of Kettle Creek. Mark Prior owns another large tract on the west side of Kettle Creek. The Prior land is
located adjacent to the McBay tract. Other outlying properties may contain some cultural resources that are
peripheral to the battle. Access to these lands was sought but not obtained, therefore these tracts were not
explored. The research potential of these outlying tracts is regarded as low to moderate, as pertains to the
story of the Revolutionary War battle.
BLANDSCAPE MODIFICATIONS
Since the time of the 1779 battle the landscape in the study area has been extensively altered. By 1779 the
Euro-American homesteaders along Kettle Creek were clearing the land, cutting down timber stands and
creating cultivated fields and pasture, as well as farmstead compounds. Other improvements that
accompanied this initial frontier settlement, or followed very soon afterwards, were grist mills and liquor
stills. All of these actions altered the existing Kettle Creek landscape and its ecology.
After the Revolutionary War, other changes took place. The landscape continued to fill with settlers as the
land was subdivided into many small tracts. Road systems were created connecting these farms to each
other and connecting farmers to various parts of their farms. The area in cultivation was steadily expanded,
especially once these settlers were able to afford enslaved Africans Americans. The additional labor of
slaves translated into more acreage in agriculture and more forests denuded.
The piedmont hills that surround Kettle Creek are highly prone to erosion, as is all of piedmont Georgia,
and once the land was cleared and cultivated topsoil soon washed off of the hilltops and ridge slopes. The
Kettle Creek floodplain filled with silt from this runoff. This increased alluvial bed load in the creek
floodplain had several negative repercussions for the residents of the area. The clogged streams and rivers
became more prone to flooding, which drowned crops that were planted in the creek floodplain. The
ecosystem was probably destabilized, which may have led to an increase in mosquitoes and mosquito-borne
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