All throughout Georgia it’s common to find traces of the Civil War – whether it’s battlefields, monuments, or cemeteries, the Peach State’s pivotal role in that conflict is well documented. Less so is its place in the Revolutionary War, most of which took place north of Virginia. But Georgia did play its part, and a key battle is being memorialized just outside the town of Washington, in Wilkes Co., between Athens and Augusta. It is there that the Battle of Kettle Creek took place, where Patriot forces battled British Loyalists following the capture of Savannah in the winter of 1779. Led by officers John Dooly, Elijah Clarke and Andrew Pickens (all of whom have Georgia counties named after them today) the Patriots won a striking victory, stalling the British advance. Graves are marked around the area of the battlefield, the exact lines of which historians debate to this day. Meanwhile, groups like the Sons of the American Revolution and the American Battlefield Trust have purchsed land to preserve and study the battlefield, and county officials have worked to build a parking lot, restrooms, and host commemorations, all drawing in visitors fascinated by this slice of Revolutionary history right here in Georgia.
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