The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-12
BATTLE OF BRIER CREEK
AN AMERICAN DEFEAT ON THE
SOIL OF sCRIVEN.


On the Old Field.
SYLvANIA, GA, Jan. 1.-THE finding of
several old English coins in the lower part
of our county recently, with the image Of
George Ill. stamped upon them, revives
the memory Of the revolutionary battle
which was fought on Scriveu's soil in
March, l779. 1t is not a battle which
Americans can recall with any degree Of
pride. for our forces were ingloriously de-
feated But then, il we can build a monu-
ment at Bunker Hill and periodically cele-
brate that great defeat to our arms, surely
it will not be treason 70 recall for short
space the battle Of Brier Greek.
A great many Of the citizens of this sec
tion, perhaps, do not know OF the tight III
Savannah river swamp between their fore
fathers and the British red coats and yet
it was a very important and bloody battle.
1t was down at the extreme end Of what is
known as 1.-THE fOrkn-the section of land
that lies between BTier creek and the Saw
hnnah river, and extending from BrannOn's
bridge to where the creek empties into
the river-and where the only
sound that now breaks the stiffness
is the baying at times Of a few hounds and
the occasional shot Of the hunter, it was
there that, l12 years ago March 3 last, the
roar Of cannon, the rattle OF musketry. aud
the fierce shouts Of conflicts resouuded and
made the swamp scene Of carnage and
death.
IMPORTANCE OF THE FIGHT.
Although the forces engaged on each side
were not very large, yet the battle Of Brier
Creek was animpOrtant one. and disastrous
In its consequences, for awhile, at least, to
the cause of freedom in Georgia. At this
time March, l779,l Savannah was in the
hands Of the British, but they had recently
evacuated Augusta, and their most north
ern camp was at Hudson's Ferry on
the Savannah river. The Americans
has a large force distributed in several
camps along the river Among the most
important of these was that commanded by
Gen. Ashe at Brier creek which consisted
ESQ Stevens in bis history of Georgia says,
although some historians make the number
smaller) Of $500 men.
GEN. LINCoLN's FORCE.
Gen. Lincoln. who had a force Of over
5000 men at Purysburg y. O., had deter
mined 20 cross the river at Black Swamp,
and, marching down, join forces with Gen.
Ashe. The British commander, however,
fearing that there would be coalition Of
the Americans, determined, if pos
sible, to scatter the troops at Brier
creek. Accordingly, Lieut.. Col Pre-
vost left Hudson's Ferry with l 900
circuitous route through the center OF
Bcriven crossed the creek up above prob
ably near where Bryan's bridge now stands,
bore down upon the unconscious Americans
who little dreamed that there was a British
soldier nearer them than Hudson's Ferry
Gen. Ashe, who seems TO have been a
traitor or totally unfit to be a commander,
deemed his position perfectly secure, when
in fact 1t was nothing more than a slaughter
pen. Stevens thus describes his position:
"Gen. Ashe was not prepared for such an
encounter, encamped as ne was, in place
totally untitled for defense. On
his right was a deep lake. made by
streams into the low and matted swamp.
On his left was Brier creek. swollen, rapid
and impossible by recent rain, and his rear
was bounded by the Savannah, with not a
boat 90 cross it, while his only means Of
exit from this trap, into which, with entire
lack of military skill, he had led his troops.
was by an open field in front, and even this
he had failed to adequately secure.n
THE PICKETs DRIVEN IN.
At o'clock in the afternoon, on March 8.
the British advance column drove ia the
pickets who were stationed at the bridge,
about mile above the main body, and so
completely were the Americans surprised
that when the drums sounded to arms mot
soldier or piece of artillery had been
served with cartridges and not plan Of
any kind had been formed for action" A
great many of the Americans were
fishing and hunting when the call to battle
Game. and the confusion was great Ashe
vainly attempted to form his troops into
three divisions, but in vain. Many of them
shamefully fled, the general at full speed
leading the way Gen. Ebert. however.
who commanded the left wing of the little
army, made brave and stubborn res stance
His trOODs fQnUbf limo av5
1t was only when all hope was gone, and his
men were being mercilessly moved down,
that Ebert ordered them to ground their
arms and surrender as prisoners of war.
The American loss in this battle was $40,
many OF whom were drowned in the river
and creek. The English loss was trifling,
being only sixteen killed and wounded.
RELICS FROM THE FIELD.
A great many relics have been gathered
at different times from this old battle field of
Brier Creek, but the most valuable of all
are stiA either buried in the swamp or lie
deep down beneath the waters of the little
lake ADJACENT to the creek. These are some
brass pieces of artillery, which the tradi-
tion OF the elders, as handed down to the
Oldest citizens of our county, says were
thrown of an embankment into the
water by the Americans in the heat
of the battle to prevent their
falling into the hands of the British. Sew
eral old men who live in that portion of the
county say they have heard their fathers
tell how, years ago when the creek was
lower than it had ever been known before.
the muzzles Of the cannon could be seen pro-
Jecttng above the water, and that they
were In the little lake which still juts out
from the main stream of the creek
GRAPHING FOR A CANNON.
No effort was ever made to reclaim theae
old guns from their hiding place until 1887,
when the Sylvania Rifles, military com.
pany which has since become extinct, went
down with all the Instruments and utensils
that they thought were necessary, and after
much labor succeeded in grasping. with
huge iron fingers that they had made for
the purpose, what felt aud sounded lust
like a revolutionary cannon, When the
precious weight was brought TO the surface
however, it proved TO be only a very large
and ancient-looking rock. The boys we're
80 Disguised that they abandoned the quest
on the spot and returned home
There have been no further attempts TO
find the guns since that time but there are
many who still assert their belief that thew
are in the lake. If found they would be
valuable relics, indeed, and there NAV be
another expedition after them before very