The patriots receive word that the Tory leader, Col. James Boyd and his infamous "Bandits" are in the area. Boyd is a Tory agent recently sent into South Carolina to recruit 6,000 loyalist volunteers. He has just returned from a meeting in New York with British commander Henry Clinton. Only 600 men are actually raised. Boyd's failure to enlist anywhere near the expected numbers of loyalists reveals the major flaw in Britain's southern strategy, that of overestimating American enthusiasm for the royal cause. Many Tory recruits join only out of fear or intimidation.
The pillaging by this group throughout the countryside has created a lasting bitterness among the patriots. Like plundering marauders, Boyd's Bandits appropriate property for their own use, abuse the citizens, and even butcher several who dare to oppose their demands. Campbell in Augusta awaits Boyd's arrival.
It is said that no virtuous woman can be shielded from the Bandits' treacherous brutality and not even the most humble cottages escape their torches. No wonder that the history of these stormy times is replete with hatred for the citizen loyalists who did these things. That same hatred is not felt for the soldiers of the King, even though many bitter feelings are awakened by the red coated soldiers of George III.
Dooley and Pickens plan to intercept Boyd at Cherokee Ford about thiry miles above Augusta. Boyd, learning of this, attempts to escape across the ford. In his path is a blockhouse manned by an American lieutenant and eight men. The house is fortified with two heavy rotating guns. They refuse his crossing and force him to cross on rafts about five miles farther to the north.
They have been watching his movements and are in fact able to guess correctly the point on the river where Boyd's Bandits will cross. As the crossing is underway, the patriots ambush them from a canebrake.
Anderson places his troops under concealment in the canebrake and pours a destructive fire in Boyd's main body as they cross the river. Some of Boyd's troops who have crossed higher upriver and sized up the situation are able to flank behind Anderson's small party and compel his retreat back to where he rejoins Pickens and Dooley. During the short, bitter struggle, Boyd loses over a hundred men killed or wounded to only a few for the Americans. After the battle, Boyd proceeds into Georgia just ahead of Pickens and the balance of his force.
Boyd's band rides west, intent on joining with Col. Daniel McGirth who is expected to meet him about six miles away at a spot on Little River. McGirth leads a Tory force of about five hundred men. The plan is for the combined group to join Campbell in Augusta.
Immediately after crossing the river, Boyd feels he is safe and is unaware the Dooley and Pickens have continued in pursuit. Col. Elijah Clarke has further reinforced the Americans with a body of one hundred mounted cavalry. This united force crosses the river shortly after Boyd and pursues rapidly but cautiously. They make camp within four miles of their opponent's encampment. From there they can hear the beat of enemy drums and know based on smoldering fires from the Tories, they aren't far ahead.
Boyd has crossed the Savannah River on February 14th, a month and a half after the fall of Savannah, and halts on a farm near Kettle Creek. He makes camp turns his horses out to forage among the reeds in a nearby canebrake and relaxes his security for the evening. He has no reason to suspect the near proximity of the Americans. His men butcher several of the farmer's fat steers and then scatter to gather wood to cook the meat and parch corn. Boyd camps on open ground with a creek behind, a canebrake on each flank and farmland in the front. His army is despersed in various directions.
The patriots prepare for battle once again and again they are at a great disadvantage in numbers to the Tories. This time they are outnumbered almost two to one. They count on luck and surprise to hopefully give them a vitory and prevent Boyd from joining Campbell's British garrison at Augusta. At stake is no less than the supremancy of upper Georgia. Much depends on this battle and the patriots know it.
If Boyd's forces are successful in driving the Americans back, British loyalists can rest assured that for a long time; no further resistance from the patriots will follow. All civilians will then yield to British power. On the other hand, should the Americans prevail, it will not only crush Tory power, already so galling to the patriots, but also protect them from further insult. It will also stimulate American courage, which is especially necessary, since it is at a low ebb after a long series of disasters. It is a big moment indeed for the fate of upper Georgia.
The Americans emerge quickly from the woods and swoop down upon Boyd's pickets. The first notice of attack is given by a volley from the pickets as they open fire on the Americans rapidly drawing near. The American troops have been ordered not to fire until they are within at least thirty-five paces of the enemy. In the excitement of the moment they disobey their orders and return fire.
Boyd's camp is startled by the sudden sound of rifle fire and initially swarms in a state of confusion. Still, they attempt to rally and mount a defense. The American army advances steadily with the right flank under Dooley, the left under Elijah Clarke and Pickens commanding the center. There are about a hundred men on each flank and two hundred in the center Boyd is able to gather and deploy about a hundred of his men behind a fence that is filled in with fallen timbers. From there he has a good vantage point.
Observing this half-formed abatis (barricade). Pickens files off to the right to a rise in the ground. From this position he is able to flank Boyd, rushing down upon him as he flees. Reacting to Pickens flanking movement, Boyd orders his men to fall back and unite with the main force. During this retreat, Col. Boyd is mortally wounded with three musket balls in his body; two through the chest and one in the leg.
Clarke and Dooley both have been impeded in their advances while picking their way through the canebrakes. After slow progress, they are finally united again with the center and bloody fighting ensues over the entire field. The loyalists, now under the command of Maj. Spurgeon, begin to give ground. They fall back across the creek leaving behind many firearms, horses and baggage.
To the rear is a small hill that Clarke is quick to recognize as a point that will undoubtedly be chosen by the Tories as a rallying ground. He discovers a path leading to a ford across the creek where he will be able to pursue. Ordering his men to follow, Clarke spurs his horse forward and it is immediately shot from beneath him. Promptly, he remounts and dashes through the water, but with only about a quarter of his force. He seizes one side of the hill as the loyalists take possession of the other. Clarke follows a circuitous route and emerges on the other side of the hill in the rear of Spurgeon. The enemy is now hemmed in on both sides. Pickens and Dooley press forward and the fighting is continued with renewed vigor.
The battle continues for almost two confused hours that sees the combatants break into smaller skirmishes and even individual encounters. The fighting is hand to hand with bayonets, rifle butts and fists. At last the Tories gave way in confusion and flee from the field, a routed and defeated force. Never again will Boyd's Bandits assemble as an organized body during the remainder or the war. The encounter, though small, is savage and its aftermath is one of bitter recrimination.
As Boyd lies dying, he says he left Carolina with eight hundred men and has lost about a hundred who have been killed, wounded or deserted in crossing the river. In this skirmish the Tories have lost seventy men killed, seventy-five wounded and a like number captured. The Americans have lost nine killed and about twenty wounded. The Tories also lose six or seven hundred horses as well as the greater part of their baggage and stores.
Boyd dies during the night and is buried on the battlefield. He gives Col. Pickens his articles of value consisting of a broach, a watch, his sword and spurs and asks that they be forwarded to his wife in England with a letter explaining the manner of his death. He says to tell her that his last thoughts are of her and his last prayer is for her welfare. Pickens sees that his wishes are carried out.
The Americans camp that night a short distance from the battlefield near where the town of Washington, Georgia stands today. The prisoners are taken to South Carolina and tried for treason. Five of their leaders are hanged. When McGirth hears about Boyd's defeat, he retreats at once to Augusta and joins Col. Campbell.
Kettle Creek is minor in terms of the number of troops involved but it has a marked impact on subsequent events along the Georgia-South Carolina border. It represents the first real victory for the patriots in many weeks. This gives a new spirit to the cause and takes the wind from the sails of the Tories, who lose much of their confidence. The British have gone to great lengths to convince the loyalists to go to arms in support of the Crown and that they would be there when they needed protection from the patriots. The small skirmish at Kettle Creek reveals to the Tories that British assurances are indeed empty. As a result the loyalists soon become dispersed all over the region. Some run to North Carolina and some just run. Others return home and cast themselves on the mercy of the new American government.
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