Stirring Up a Hornet’s Nest: The Kettle Creek Battlefield Survey LAMAR Institute Publication Series Report Number 131 The LAMAR Institute, Inc. Stirring Up a Hornet’s Nest: The Kettle Creek Battlefield Survey LAMAR Institute Publication Series, Report Number 131 Submitted to City of Washington P.O. Box 9 Washington, Georgia 30673 Submitted by Daniel T. Elliott, Principal Investigator and Author The LAMAR Institute, Inc. P.O. Box 2992 Savannah, GA 31402 2009 TableB of Contents Table of Contents i List of Figures iiH List of Tables vH Acknowledgements vi I. Introduction 1 Battle Summary 1 Project Environment 2 II. Research Methods 4 Archival Research 4 Fieldwork 12 Laboratory Analysis 15 Reporting 16 Curation 16 III. Previous Research 17 Previous Historical Research 17 Previous Archeological Research 36 IV. The Participants 37 Patriot Militia 37 Biographies of Selected Patriot Participants 45 Other Patriots Linked to Kettle Creek 76 Loyalist Militia 80 Selected Loyalist Participants 81 Troop Strength and Casualty Estimates 95 V. The Battlefield 97 Battlefield Imagery 97 Military Landscape of Wilkes County 100 Property Ownership and Kettle Creek 112 Landscape Modifications 124 VI. Archeological Results 127 Battlefield Landscape 127 Activity Loci 132 Material Culture 137 VI. Summary and Recommendations 160 Executive Summary 160 Battle Analysis 160 Recommendations 166 References Cited 170 Appendix I. Artifact Inventory, Kettle Creek Battlefield Survey, 2008 196 Appendix II. Kettle Creek Roster 210 i ListB of Figures Figure 1. Kettle Creek Battlefield Location Map. ......................................................................................... 3 Figure 2. Kettle Creek Battlefield Study Area (U.S.G.S. 1991)................................................................... 13 Figure 3. View of Project Area, Facing North from Monument Hill. .......................................................... 14 Figure 4. Schematic Diagram of Kettle Creek Battle (Ashmore and Olmstead 1926). ................................ 30 Figure 5. Davis’ “Location of Cemetary”, Sketch Showing “Cemetary”, Marked by an “X”, Kelly Branch, Kettle Creek and War Hill] (Davis 1974)..................................................................................................... 34 Figure 6. Davis’ Profile Sketch Showing “headstone nearby of other grave”, “brick pile”, and “fence” (Davis 1974)................................................................................................................................................. 35 Figure 7. Davis’ Unlabeled Profile of Suspected Chimney (Davis 1974). ................................................... 35 Figure 8. General Andrew Pickens (Sully 1835).......................................................................................... 46 Figure 9. Portrait of Elijah Clarke (Courtesy of Louise S. Thoman and Scott Thoman 2009)..................... 52 Figure 10. A 1753 Plat for John Boyd's 200 acres in Craven County, South Carolina (S.C.D.A.H 2009). 83 Figure 11. Detail of Hinton's Map of Georgia (1779). ................................................................................. 97 Figure 12. Portion of Davis' Redraft of "A Plan of a Part of the Province of Georgia in North America" (Davis 1986:18, Figure 18)........................................................................................................................... 98 Figure 13. Detail of 1868 Map Showing Kettle Creek Battlefield (Barnett 1868). ..................................... 99 Figure 14. Detail of Map of Wilkes County, Showing Kettle Creek Battleground (Granade 1901). .......... 99 Figure 15. Portion of U.S.G.S. Quadrangle, Showing Kettle Creek, circa 1903-1904 (U.S.G.S. 1906). .. 100 Figure 16. Soil Map of Wilkes County, Showing Study Area (Bureau of Soils 1915). ............................ 101 Figure 17. Portion of Wilkes County Index Sheet, Showing Study Area (U.S.D.A. 1938). ..................... 101 Figure 18. 1942 Aerial Photograph Showing Study Area (U.S.D.A. 1942)............................................... 102 Figure 19. Reconstruction of Early Plats in the Kettle Creek Vicinity (McGinty 2007)........................... 113 Figure 20. Plat of 450 Acres Granted to James Hammett in 1783 (McGinty 2007)................................... 113 Figure 21. Advertisement for Sale of William Hammet's Property (Georgia Journal 1810:4)................. 115 Figure22. Schematic of McCall’s Account of the Kettle Creek Battle, Phases 1 and 2 (Davis and Thomas 1975:11). .................................................................................................................................................... 127 Figure 23. Schematic of McCall’s Account of the Kettle Creek Battle, Phases 3 and 4 (Davis and Thomas 1975:12). .................................................................................................................................................... 128 Figure 24. Schematic of Pickens’ Account of the Kettle Creek Battle, Phases 1 and 2 (Davis and Thomas 1975:13). .................................................................................................................................................... 129 .................................................................................................................................................................... 129 Figure 25. Schematic of Pickens’ Account of the Kettle Creek Battle, Phases 3 and 4 (Davis and Thomas 1975:14). .................................................................................................................................................... 129 .................................................................................................................................................................... 130 Figure 26. Kettle Creek Immediately Prior to Battle (Rauch, in Davis 2006)........................................... 130 .................................................................................................................................................................... 130 Figure 27. Initial Phase of Kettle Creek Battle (Rauch, in Davis 2006).................................................... 130 Figure 28. Kettle Creek Battle Fully Involved (Rauch, in Davis 2006). ................................................... 131 .................................................................................................................................................................... 131 Figure 29. Final Phase of Kettle Creek Battle (Rauch, in Davis 2006). ..................................................... 131 Figure 30. Kettle Creek, Loyalists Routed (Rauch in DAvis 2006). .......................................................... 132 Figure 31. Activity Loci, Kettle Creek Battlefield. ................................................................................... 133 Figure 32. Selected Kitchen Group Artifacts. ............................................................................................ 139 Figure 33. Selected Arms Group Artifacts. ............................................................................................... 140 Figure 34. Selected Arms Group Ammunition........................................................................................... 141 Figure 35. Selected Clothing, Personal and Activities Artifacts................................................................. 142 Figure 36. Selected Activities Artifacts, Horse-Related............................................................................ 143 Figure 37. Distribution of Arms Group Artifacts, Kettle Creek Battlefield. ............................................. 146 Figure 38. Comparison of Bullet Distribution, Kettle Creek (A. Bullets .50 caliber or Greater; B. Bullets less than .50 caliber)................................................................................................................................... 150 Figure 39. Distribution of Clothing Group Artifacts, Kettle Creek........................................................... 155 Figure 40. Distribution of Activities Group Artifacts, Kettle Creek. ......................................................... 158 Figure 41. Distribution of Horseshoes and Horse Tack, Kettle Creek. ..................................................... 159 ii Figure 42. Composite Map Showing Artifact Finds and Activity Loci, Kettle Creek Battlefield.............. 161 Figure 43. Activity Loci, Kettle Creek Battlefield. ................................................................................... 162 Figure 44. Suspected Routes of Patriot Militia, Kettle Creek Battlefield.................................................. 163 Figure 45. Hypothesized Firing Positions and Troop Movement, Kettle Creek......................................... 166 Figure 46. Core Area of Kettle Creek Battlefield....................................................................................... 169 iii iv List of Tables Table 1. Timeline of Significant Engagements and Events in the American Revolution............................. 38 Table 2. Patriots Order of Battle, Kettle Creek, February 14, 1779. ............................................................ 39 Table 3. Troop Return of Pickens' Detachment, June 21, 1779.................................................................... 40 Table 4. South Carolina and North Carolina Militiamen at Kettle Creek ………………………………...41 Table 5. Georgia Militiamen Who Fought at Kettle Creek