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

them. Lossing visited Savannah, Georgia in 1852, where he gathered materials for his book. It is not likely
that he visited Kettle Creek and his book contains no images from that battle. Lossing (1850) provided this
historical summary of the Kettle Creek battle and the events leading up to it:
For the encouragement and support of the Loyalists in the interior, and to awe the Republicans in that quarter after the fall of
Savannah, Colonel Campbell, who commanded at the siege of that city, was ordered by General Prevost to advance with
about two thousand regulars and Loyalists [Jan., 1779.], upon Augusta. Already he had sent emissaries among the South
Carolina Tories to encourage them to make a general insurrection; and he assured them that, if they would cross the
Savannah and join him at Augusta, the Republicans might be easily crushed, and the whole South freed from their pestilential
influence. Thus encouraged, about eight hundred Loyalists of North and South Carolina assembled westward of the Broad
River, under Colonel Boyd, and marched along the frontier of South Carolina, toward the Savannah. Like a plundering
banditti, they appropriated every species of property to their own use, abused the inhabitants, and wantonly butchered several
who opposed their rapacious demands.
While these depredators were organizing, and Campbell was proceeding toward Augusta, General Elbert crossed the
Savannah, joined Colonels Twiggs and Few, and skirmished with the British van-guard at Brier Creek and other places, to
impede their progress. They effected but little, and on the twenty-ninth of January [1779.] Campbell took possession of
Augusta, and placed the garrison under Lieutenant-colonel Brown, the Loyalist just mentioned, who, with Lieutenant-colonel
M‘Girth, had preceded him thither. Campbell then proceeded to establish military posts in other parts of Western Georgia.
The Whigs who could leave with their families crossed the Savannah into Carolina. The oath of allegiance was every where
administered; the habitations of those who had fled into Carolina were consumed; and Georgia seemed, for the moment,
permanently prostrate at the feet of the invaders. The quiet that ensued was only the calm before a gathering storm. Colonel
John Dooly collected a body of active militia on the Carolina shore, thirty miles above Augusta, while Colonel M‘Girth, with
three hundred Loyalists, was watching him on the other side. Dooly crossed over into Georgia, and these partisans had
several skirmishes. Finally, Major Hamilton, an active officer under M‘Girth, drove Dooly across the Savannah, a short
distance below the mouth of Broad River, and encamped at Waters’s plantation, about three miles below the present town of
Petersburg, in Elbert county. Dooly took post opposite to Hamilton, where he was joined by Colonel Pickens. Their united
forces amounted to about three hundred and fifty men.
Colonel Pickens, who was the senior officer, assumed the command of the whole, and with Dooly crossed the river at
Cowen’s Ferry, to attack Hamilton [Feb. 10, 1779.]. That officer had broken up his encampment and marched to Carr’s Fort,
not far distant, to examine its condition and administer the oath of allegiance to the surrounding inhabitants. The Americans
besieged the fort, and were confident of capturing it, having cut off the supply of water for the garrison, when, at ten o’clock
at night, a message came to Colonel Pickens, from his brother, informing him of the march of Boyd and his banditti through
the district of Ninety-Six. Unwilling to distress the families who had taken shelter within the fort, Pickens declined a
proposition to burn it, and raising the siege, he hastened to confront Boyd, the more important foe. He crossed the Savannah
near Fort Charlotte, when Boyd, hearing of his approach, hastened toward the Cherokee Ford. At that ford was a redoubt,
garrisoned by eight men, with two swivels. They successfully disputed the passage of Boyd, and he marched five miles up
the river, crossed on rafts, and pushed on toward Augusta. He was pursued by a detachment of Americans, under Captain
Anderson, who attacked him in a cane-brake. A severe skirmish ensued. Boyd lost one hundred men in killed, wounded, and
missing; the Americans lost sixteen killed, and the same number taken prisoners. Boyd hastened forward, and on the morning
of the thirteenth [Feb., 1779.] crossed the Broad River, near the fork, in Oglethorpe county, closely pursued by Pickens, with
about three hundred militia. The latter marched in battle order. Colonel Dooly commanded the right wing; Lieutenant-colonel
Clark the left; and Colonel Pickens the center. Boyd, ignorant of the proximity of his pursuers, halted on the north side of
Kettle Creek, turned his horses out to forage upon the reeds of a neighboring swamp, and proceeded to slaughter cattle for his
army. In this condition he was attacked [Feb. 14.] by the Americans. The Tory pickets fired, and fled to the camp. The utmost
confusion prevailed, and Boyd and his followers began to retreat in great disorder, while skirmishing with the assailants. The
contest lasted almost two hours. About seventy of the Tories were killed, and seventy-five were made prisoners. The
Americans lost nine killed and twenty-three mortally wounded. Colonel Boyd was severely wounded and expired that night.
His whole force was scattered to the winds. The seventy prisoners were taken to South Carolina, tried for high treason, and
condemned to death. Five of the most active ones were hanged, the remainder were [was] pardoned. This was one of the
severest blows which Toryism in the South had yet received (Lossing 1850).
Another early Georgia historian, Reverend George White, provided in his Statistics of the State of Georgia,
a brief entry in the “Remarkable Places in Wilkes County”: “Kettle creek is famous as the battle ground
where Clarke, Doolly [sic] and Pickens, distinguished themselves in the war of the Revolution” (White
1849:610). White (1854:684-685) later provided a more detailed description of the Kettle Creek battle in
his Historical Collections of Georgia:
Kettle Creek is famous as the battle-ground where Clarke, Dooly, and Pickens, distinguished themselves in the war of the
Revolution. When Savannah was taken, Colonel Campbell advanced to Augusta. Colonel Boyd, who had just returned from
New York, was to notify the disaffected, and excite the Tories on the western parts of North and South Carolina, and force
his way to join Colonel Campbell at Augusta. Colonel Campbell immediately moved up Savannah River, with several
hundred mounted men; and after maneuvering in the neighborhood of where Petersburg now stands, and Kerr's Fort, in order
to effect a junction with Boyd, he was compelled by the Whigs to return. Colonel Pickens, with only thee hundred and twenty
men, after driving back Campbell, pursued Boyd, and forced him to cross the river eighteen miles above the junction of
Savannah and Broad rivers. He then crossed at their junction, and, and was joined by Dooly and Lieutenant:-Colonel Clarke,
with about one hundred dragoons. Colonel Dooly, with great patriotism, gave the command of all the forces to him. They
pursed Boyd rapidly, who had taken a circuitous route through the Cherokee Nation until they overtook him, in a few days,
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