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

BIV. The Participants
This chapter details the findings from the historical research conducted on the people who participated in
the battle of Kettle Creek. As a preamble to this discussion, we offer this capsule summary of the Battle of
Kettle Creek. Table 1 contains a timeline of important events in the American Revolution, particularly as
they pertained to the Kettle Creek story. Table 2 presents an order of battle for the Patriots in the February
13 th engagement, which was reconstructed on the basis of the present historical research. The list of
captains commanding the Patriot companies from South Carolina and Georgia also has missing parts. One
or more of the captains listed under Elijah Clarke’s command may actually have been commanded by John
Dooly but this is not indicated by the review of surviving historical documents. This summary is followed
by biographical information on the Patriot militias and Loyalist militia who were involved in the conflict.
Additional information on soldiers in the conflict is contained in Appendix II.
BPATRIOT MILITIA
The Patriots in the southern states who had not joined the Continental Army were organized by county
(Jacobsen 2003). The concept of “minuteman” was an American invention that predated the American
Revolution. Minutemen were militia soldiers who were ready to serve on a minute’s notice. This term won
popular appeal, associated first with Massachusetts militia troops in battles at Lexington and Concord. The
concept spread to other states, including Georgia. Elijah Clarke’s troops were frequently referred to as
minutemen, as well as riflemen, mounted horsemen, and militiamen. Wilkes County was an American
frontier before and during the American Revolution. Citizen settlers in this region were accustomed to
defending themselves against Indian attack, which came with little or no warning. When the Revolution
began, hostile Tories were added to that defensive equation. Numerous veterans stated in their pension
applications that their garrison and ranging services, while posted in Wilkes County, were intended mostly
to protect the citizenry from Indian and Tory attack.
The South Carolina militia from the Ninety-Six District was commanded by General Andrew Williamson.
At the time of the battle at Kettle Creek, General Williamson and most of the South Carolina militia were
headquartered near Adams Ferry, opposite from Augusta, Georgia in present-day Aiken County, South
Carolina. Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell of the British 71 st Regiment included a map of
Williamson’s camp at Adams Ferry in his journal (Campbell 1981: Plate III). The South Carolina militia
was organized into two regiments. Colonel Andrew Pickens commanded the regiment that was involved in
the battle of Kettle Creek. Another South Carolina militia regiment was commanded by Colonel John
Hammond.
Pickens’ militia regiment consisted of fewer than 350 men in February, 1779. Colonel Dooly placed the
number of South Carolina militiamen significantly lower, at 200 men. Colonel Pickens’ regiment in the
battle was composed of at least 11 companies, commanded by Captains: Baskins, Casey, Collins,
Hamilton, Hays, Hill, Jones, McCall, Miller, Moore, and Noble. Captain Casey’s company, which was
greatly reduced, had been detached to serve under Pickens and was not normally part of his regiment.
Captain Andrew Miller was being held prisoner by Colonel Boyd at the beginning of the battle.
Private Edward Doyle attested in his pension application that Pickens’ expedition against Colonel Boyd
consisted of “300 mounted militia” on the Patriot side (Footnote.com 2008 [Edward Doyle S32216]). His
statement indicates that all of Pickens’ troops were mounted. In “A Return of the Detachment of Light
Horse Commanded by Colo Andrew Pickins Camp at Fargason Plantation June 21, 1779”, a detachment of
troops under Colonel Pickens’ command numbered 102. Pickens’ return is summarized in Table 3.
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