Non-Profit Dedicated to Historical Education of the American Revolution and the Colonial Period
Savannah, Georgia was quickly taken on December 29, 1778, by a small British invasion fleet that within a few hours of disembarking troops, routed Georgian Continentals and militia. The rebels suffered severe casualties with the remaining force retreating into the interior. As early as the summer of 1778, after three and a half years of …
Capture of the British outpost Fort Galphin, May 21, 1781, by Continental troops and South Carolina militia under Lt. Colonel Henry “Lighthorse Harry” Lee was more akin to an episode from the 1960’s western comedy sitcom ‘F-Troop.’ Lee had sent a small diversionary force to assault the fort, serving as bait to draw out the …
The Second Siege of Augusta, Georgia, May 22 – June 5, 1781, was an American victory. It pitted the same two main antagonists who were present during the First Siege of Augusta, September 14 – 18, 1780; Georgia rebel militia leader Colonel Elijah Clarke, and Georgia loyalist militia leader Colonel Thomas ‘Burnfoot’ Brown. The difference …
Colonel Thomas Brown was a fierce partisan fighter. An able leader, he was always in the thick of battle, deploying his men skillfully and encouraging them to fight on. Passionate to the cause, he would have been at the forefront of America’s Revolutionary heroes, had he been a patriot; but he was not. Brown was …
Colonel Elijah Clarke, b. December 10, 1736 (some give 1733 & 1742) – December 15, 1799, was one of the unsung heroes of the American Revolution. Fierce and determined in battle, the Georgian militia leader was always in the thick of the fight, having received multiple wounds throughout the war; two life threatening. From Florida …
The First American Siege of Augusta, Georgia (September 14 – 18, 1780) was a partisan militia clash of arms by equal numbers of Georgia and South Carolina against Tory and Native American allies. The siege was called off after a stiff defense by Tory defenders and the sudden expected arrival of a British relief force …
Early Life Button Gwinnet was born in England circa 1732 to 1735 in the parish of Down Hatherley in county Gloucestershire to Welsh parents; Reverend Samuel Gwinnett and his wife Anne. He was named Button after his godmother Barbara Button. It is believed that he attended the College School at Gloucester Cathedral (presently the King’s …
The Battle of Kettle Creek, February 14, 1779, was a partisan clash of arms between Loyalists and Patriot militias; approximately sixty-five miles northwest of Augusta and eight miles west of present-day Washington, Georgia. By 1778, the southern colonies of the American Revolution had become a battleground of partisan warfare. A bloody civil war had erupted …
At the start of the American Revolutionary War, colonies scrambled to enlist men to fight. The northern states readily accepted African Americans in their ranks. Slavery was common throughout the colonies including the northern provinces. New York City had the greatest slave population than any other city and Rhode Island had the highest percentage of …