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

John Finley entered the service of the United States at the age of 16 years on the 15th day of August 1776, that he was an
enlisted soldier or recruit and enrolled as such by one Sergeant Emmit for the particular service of a corps of mounted
horsemen called as the Applicant believes the Georgia Provincials or Rangers whose sole duty appeared to be the frontier
protection in Georgia against Indian depredations and Tory revolt against the Country, that he enlisted under the said
Sergeant Emmit in Craven County afterwards Ninety Six District and now Laurens District on the 15 th day of August 1776
for the term or period of time of 18 months, that he with other recruits of like character were marched from the this place in
the State of South Carolina by the said Sergeant Emmit to a place in the State of Georgia called Kettle Creek where he was
placed under the command of one Captain McFarlin who had rendezvoused his company at Kettle Creek for about the period
of one month and from thence was marched by Captain McFarlin to a place called Neels or Neals fort [sic, probably Nail's
Fort] on the frontiers of Georgia where the company joined another but under what Captain the Applicant does not recollect,
at Neal's Fort about the number of three companies were embodied collected or organized, and from thence the Applicant
was marched with the said troop under the command of a Major Marberry [sic, probably Leonard Marbury] to a place called
Fort Barrington on the Altamaha River in the State of Georgia which place was designated the Head Quarters of the troops,
and at which place the troops had a battle with the Indians who were defeated with a loss not known to the Applicant but with
a loss on the part of the troops of five or six men killed, and from which place the troops alternately issued and moved in
small squads & scouting parties up & down the said River & over to the North & South bank through the country to check
and intimidate the inroads of the Indians and other enemies of the Country for about the period of seven months, ending in
April or May 1777 (Footnote.com 2008 [John Finley W1257]).
Paul Findley (or Finley) recounts a similar story to the preceding John Finley account. Private Findley
stated in his pension account,
that he [Findley] enlisted under the said Sergt. Emmit on the fifteenth day of August one thousand seven hundred & seventy
six for the term or time of Eighteen months; that on the day of his said enlistment he was a resident of and living in Craven
District afterwards known as Ninety Six District and at present called Laurens District in the State of South Carolina; that he
with other recruits of like character were marched from the place by the said Sergt. Emmit to a place in the State of Georgia
called Kettle Creek, where he was placed under the command of one Capt. ___ [blank in original] Mc Farlin [McFarlane ?]
who it appeared had rendezvoused his company at Kettle Creek for about the period of one month & from thence was
marched under said Capt. McFarlin's company by him to a place called Nails or Neal's fort on the frontier of Georgia where
this company joined another but under Capt. The applicant does not recollect; at which place about the number of three
companies were embodied, collected, organized and from thence the applicant was marched with the said troops under the
command of Major __ [blank in original] Marberry [probably Leonard Marbury, also spelled Marbrey] either Leonard
Marbury or to a place called fort Barrington on the Altamaha River in the State of Georgia which place was designated their
Headquarters…(Pension account, Paul Findley W9440X).
John Finley’s and Paul Findley’s versions are important evidence of a military encampment on Kettle
Creek, which preceded the February 14, 1779 battle. Both soldiers attest that they were taken to the area by
a Sergeant Emmit and were later under command of a Captain McFarlin [possibly McFarland]. Captain
McFarland’s company spent about one month camped at Kettle Creek in late 1776. Such a prolonged
encampment by a company of soldiers would likely leave an archeological footprint. Louise Hammett has
suggested that Sergeant Emmit may be the same as her ancestor, James Hammett and that the differences
can be explained by a variant spelling of the surname (Hammett 2008:48; Louise B. Hammett, personal
communication July 11, 2008). She argues that in a largely illiterate population, the pronunciation of the
Hammett surname was interpreted variously. Hammett’s interpretation of Sergeant Emmit and James
Hammett being the same person may be valid. Warren noted that English and French pronunciation in the
18 th century typically did not pronounce the “H” at the beginning of a word, which would further support
Hammett’s theory that Emmit and Hammett was the same person (Mary Bondurant Warren, personal
communication, January 1, 2009). A preliminary search for non-commissioned officers in the Georgia and
South Carolina militias and Continentals yielded no results for the surname Emmit. James Hammett did
attain the rank of Sergeant in the Wilkes County militia and was one of the earliest Euro-American settlers
on Kettle Creek. James may already have been familiar with the Kettle Creek area by 1776 or 1777 when a
military camp was established there.
Private Robert Ellis
Private Robert Ellis served several tours in the South Carolina militia and was at Kettle Creek in 1781. In
1838 Ellis stated that, “He again Volunteered under Captain Robert Maxwell in the fall of 178_[last digit
omitted] to serve three months under Colonel Anderson and was marched to the Kittle Creek and little
Brasstown under General Pickens and was in several skirmishes” (Footnote.com 2008 [Robert Ellis
S26084]). It is unclear from Ellis’ testimony, whether he participated in the February 14 battle, although he
was present in that area with other South Carolina militiamen later in the war.
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