The Battle of Kettle Creek

The Battle of Kettle Creek. American Revolutionary War, 1779. , To prevent British soldiers from capturing the city of Augusta, the Battle of Kettle Creek was fought on Valentine's Day, 1779. 600 British loyalists occupied Wilkes County, a few miles from Washington, Georgia, at an area known to the locals as Kettle Creek. The loyalists' leader, Colonel James Boyd, entered the state from South Carolina in an effort to gain British supporters. Georgia was a ripe recruiting ground for the British forces, as the youngest of the 13 colonies depended on the British monarchy to provide supplies, and many of its citizens remained loyal to King George III., 340 American Patriots ambushed the loyalists at Kettle Creek, battling a group twice their size. Turning the tide of the War in Georgia, Patriot leaders Andrew Pickens, John Dooly, and Elijah Clarke led their troops to attack the British soldiers and allowed Georgia to win their first battle for the Revolution. This would lead the American Patriots in Georgia to rally and further support the Revolutionary War effort., At the end of the four hour battle, the loyalists had lost 70 soldiers including their leader, Colonel Boyd, and captured 70 more. The Patriots lost nine soldiers with 23 more men wounded., Today Clarke County, Dooly County, Pickens County, and Elijah Clarke State Park bear the names of those courageous Patriot leaders from this Revolutionary War battle in Georgia., Composed with the assistance of Frank N. Osborne Middle School 2018