Colonel John Boyd, Tory Commander

From American Battlefield Trust.

He commanded the Tories at the Battle of Kettle Creek, Georgia.

Information about John Boys id unfortunately extremely sparse.  It is also possible that his name might have even been James.

In any event, he was probably a landowner in South Carolina.  After the British capture of New York City, Boyd traveled north  and met with Sir Henry Clinton, receiving a commission and orders to form a Loyalist regiment in the South.

In November 1778, Boyd accompanied British Colonel Archibald Campbell's expedition to Savannah, Georgia, which was captured by British forces on December 29, 1778.  After Campbell followed up his victory by moving inland and capturing  Augusta, Georgia, Boyd was dispatched north to raise a force of Loyalists in the Carolinas.

He was attacked at Kettle Creek on his return journey after completing his recruitment expedition.  Boyd was buried in an unmarked grave on the Battle of Kettle Creek site.

It has not been located.

--Brock-Perry

Tories vs. Patriots, the Battle of Kettle Creek-- Part 2: A Complete British Rout

Col. Boyd's small Tory detachment fought bravely, but were outflanked and driven back.  Before he could reach the rest of his troops, Boyd was hot several times and fell mortally wounded.

As Pickens' Patriots attacked the Tory center, his flanking forces under John Dooly and Elijah Clarke emerged from swampy ground on the left and right to join  the assault on the main Tory line.  Command of John Boyd's regiment now passed on to Major  William Augustus Spurgeon, Jr.

Eventually, despite outnumbering the Patriots  roughly two-to-one and commanding higher ground, the Tories began giving ground.  They began a complete rout retreat, abandoning horses and supplies and fleeing across the creek.

By the time the fighting had ceased, Col. Boyd's Tory regiment was no more.

From beginning to end, the engagement had lasted about four hours  Of the 700 Tories engaged, casualties were roughly 200.  On the Patriot side, Pickens' force had lost about 32 men killed and wounded.  In addition, about 33 Patriots being held captive by Boyd's were freed when their captors scattered.

--Cooter

It's Tories vs. Patriots in Georgia: The Battle of Kettle Creek-- Part 1

From American Battlefield Trust.

In February 1779, Colonel John Boyd set out with a newly-raised regiment of Tory troops (Loyalist to the Crown) with a goal of uniting with British General Archibald Campbell force, which had  captured Augusta, Georgia, 

During their march south, however, his force had 100 casualties inflicted upon them by pursuing Patriots.

After crossing the Savannah River, Boyd ordered his men to rest and make camp on the north side of Kettle Creek in Wilkes County, Georgia.  Unbeknownst to Boyd and his men, about 350 Patriots, under the overall command of Colonel Andrew Pickens were close by and preparing to attack.

Splitting his men into three columns, Pickens attacked at 10 am on the morning of February 14,1779, and caught the Tories completely by surprise.  The pickets were driven back into camp.

Although the Tories had the larger numbers, the Patriot attack left them little time to organize to resist.  Boyd ordered his main force to take up defensive positions on a hill at the rear of the camp while he advanced with 100 men to a position behind a makeshift breastwork opposite the center of the Patriot line.

--Cooter

Nancy Hart, American Revolution Heroine-- Part 2: Killing Tories

It is believed she was born in North Carolina.

It is difficult to prove or disprove the accomplishments credited to her, however.

One of those accounts had 5 or 6 Tories coming to her house and demanding that she cook one of her turkeys for them.  They placed their guns by the door and sat down and began drinking heavily and eating.  While they were distracted, she pushed their guns out a hole and then grabbed one and confronted them.

One came at her and she shot him dead.  She grabbed another gun and when a second one came at her, killed him as well.  She held the remainder captive until her husband and neighbors arrived. Her husband wanted to kill them on the spot, but Nancy demanded that they be taken outside and hanged.  They were hanged.

There are many other stories about her.

Nancy Hart, American Revolution Heroine-- Part 1

From Wikipedia.

I have been writing about a group of women from LaGrange, Georgia, called the Nancy harts during the Civil War who organized a military unit to defend their town while the men were away fighting.  This has been in my Saw the Elephant Civil War Blog this past week.

I'd never heard of Nancy Hart, so good old Wikipedia to the rescue.

1735-1830

Rebel heroine of the American Revolution, noted for her exploits against Loyalists in the northeast Georgia backwoods.  Reputedly outwitted Tory soldiers and killed some of them.

--More to Come.  --Cooter

Redcoats on the River-- Part 1

Book Review in Dec. 4, 2008, Wilmington (NC) Star-News by Ben Steelman.

People in Wilmington know about Moore's Creek Battlefield and the Burgwin-Wright House "Cornwallis' House, but not many know that Wilmington lawyer William Hooper signed the Declaration of Independence for the state of North Carolina.

Not many Colonial and Revolutionary War and early Federal structures remain Wilmington because they were wood frame and fires claimed most. Civil War sites are much-better known.

Author Robert M. Dunkerly of the National Park Service has written a book "Redcoats on the River" to fill in the area's history during the Revolutionary War. Much of that conflict revolved around extremely brutal guerrilla war between Patriots and Tories/Loyalists (as the backers of England were called).

The Revolution pitted brother-against-brother, neighbor vs. neighbor. Two of Hooper's brothers remained loyal to the crown.

In Bladen and Duplin counties, the two sides burned each other's homes and scattered livestock.

More to Come. --DaCoot