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

BWilliam Speer, Sr.
William Speer, Sr. served in Captain Hugh McCall’s company of South Carolina militia in Pickens’
regiment. Speer fought in the battle of Kettle Creek, as evidenced by the writings of his son, William Speer,
Jr. (1868, 1874; Snowden 1920, Volume IV:232; Speer 1998). William, Sr. was born in county Antrim,
Ireland in 1747. He arrived in America in 1772 and came to Charleston, South Carolina in 1774. William
Speer, Jr. wrote concerning his father’s military service in a December 9, 1869 in a letter to relative John A.
Speer:
He [William Speer, Sr.] remained in Charleston until after Sir Peter Parker's attack on Charleston, 28th of June, 1776, was in
Drayton's, or ‘Snowy Camps’, came to the Long Cane settlement, Abbeville District, and lived in the family of General
Pickens for three years, when he was not in the service. He served in the calvary company of Capt. Hugh McCall, but when
the State was over run by the British (after the fall of CHARLESTON) and many took protection; he with others went as
refugees to North Carolina, until Gen. Green took command in South Carolina. Previous to this time he was in a campaign
under Gen. Williamson in the first expedition against the Cherokee Indians. During the war a rising of the Tories commenced
in Spartanburg District, under command of Col. Boyd, who was making a circuitous route to join Colonel Brown, who was
commanding the British post at Augusta, Ga. Col. Pickens had command of the Block House at the Cherokee Ford, on
Savannah river, in Abbeville District; who hearing that Boyd was approaching with 700 men, joined by the notorious Bill
Cunningham, left Capt. Anderson in command at the Block House whilst he was absent raising the Whig Militia in his own
District. Boyd advanced and burned "Fort Independence', which stood on the plantation now owned by the estate of the late
Wm. Young, in this District. Boyd advanced and sent forward a party under Cunningham to attack the Block House, and
thereby open his way across Savannah river at Cherokee Ford. Capt. Anderson having a four pounder in the Fort that the
Tories were not aware of, opened fire on them. The Tories fled at the first fire, and made good their retreat, crossing the river
near the mouth of Van's creek. After Boyd had crossed into Georgia, Pickens having collected 300 Whigs, commenced
pursuit and overtook Boyd at Kettle creek, in Wilkes county, Ga., where my Father, under Pickens, participated in a severe
battle, Boyd was killed early in that engagement, his forces defeated and dispersed. After the battle was over, Pickens sent
my Father on an express to White Hall, S. C. The Whigs and Tories distinguished themselves - the Whigs by wearing a white
paper in the hat-the Tories by wearing in the hat a pine top. He again joined Pickens at ‘Fort Charlotte’ (Speer 1869).
William Speer, Jr. wrote a short biography of his father in 1874, which included these statements, “My
father served in the army in the Cavalry under the command of Capt. Hugh McCall,” and he noted that his
father “was in the battle of Kettle Creek where Col. Pickens with 300 men defeated Boyd with 700 men.
Boyd was killed” (Speer 1874). William Speer, Jr.’s statement that his father had delivered an express to
General Williamson, if it was true, indicates that William Sr. was a trusted soldier under Colonel Pickens’
command. It should be noted that no official military service or federal pension record was located for
William Speer. A pension record was located for an Ensign William Speer, but an examination of these
documents determined that he was another individual.
BPrivate Beckham May
Beckham May was from Columbia County, Georgia. He served as a private soldier in the Georgia militia
under command of Lieutenant Colonel Elijah Clarke. May fought in the battle of Kettle Creek, as he stated
in his pension application in 1855 at age 100, “he was at the battle of Kettle Creek in 1779, at which
Pickens and Clarke were present, and the Tory Colonel Boyd was killed” (Footnote.com 2008; Beckham
May pension application R7049). Not surprisingly, May did not produce many corroborating witnesses by
fellow soldiers, since most all of them were dead by 1855. Beckham May served with distinction in
numerous battles in Georgia, as he describes in his pension testimony.
BPrivate William Black
William Black was a Private in Captain Joseph Nail’s Company of Lieutenant Colonel Elijah Clarke’s
Wilkes County militia. He fought in the battle of Kettle Creek and numerous other engagements. William
Black made a brief mention of his participation in the battle at Kettle Creek when he stated in 1833,
That he entered the service of the United States in the Georgia militia under the following named officers, his Colonel was
Elijah Clark [sic, Clarke], his Captain Joseph Neal; that he entered the service in the summer of 1776 and served the whole of
the war, drew pay during the whole of the time, served two years under Captain Neal [Nail] and was in the Battle of Carr's
ford [sic, Carr's fort] and Kettle Creek in the State of Georgia (Footnote.com 2008 [William Black W9730]; Davis & Thomas
1975:81-82).
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