Excerpt about Carr's Fort/ Capt. William Baskin, Jr.

Here's the story of the battle of Carr's Fort I promised before Christmas. Keep in mind this was written in 1883 by the winning side. Also remember that the forces facing one another in these battles were nearly all American colonists and neighbors, in all likelihood, they were just on different sides of the war.

Excerpt from Ancestry.com. Georgia History, Vol. I & II. (Database on-line). Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2002.

Original Data: Jones, Charles C., The History of Georgia Vol. I-II. Boston, MA, USA: Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1883. pp. 336-342.

"...Thus, for the moment, was Georgia completely in the possession of the king's forces....

So soon as it was known in Wilkes County that Augusta had passed into the possession of the enemy, the inhabitants who were able to remove, hastily collecting their household effects and cattle, fled into Carolina. Those who remained betook themselves to forts, and associated together in small bands for mutual protection. Many, having lodged their wives, children, and servants in places of security, assembled under Colonel John Dooly on the Carolina shore of the Savannah River, about thirty miles above Augusta.

...There he was joined by Colonel Andrew Pickens, who brought with him two hundred and fifty men of his regiment. Although the senior in rank, Colonel Dooly yielded the command in deference to the fact that Pickens had contributed more than two thirds of the troops constituting this little army. With this united force it was resolved to attack Hamilton without delay. Accordingly, on the night of the 10th of February, Pickens and Dooly crossed the Savannah at Cowen's ferry, three miles above Hamilton's encampment, and prepared to charge the enemy early the next morning. To their surprise and regret they found that the British officer, in entire ignorance of the impending danger, had departed on an excursion through the country to visit its forts and administer oaths of allegiance to such inhabitants as he chanced to meet. Conjecturing that Carr's Fort would be the first point visited by the enemy, Captain A. Hamilton was directed, with a guide, to proceed rapidly to that point and arrange for its defense with such men as he might find there congregated. Pickens and Dooly, moving with their command, intended to fall upon the rear of Lieutenant-Colonel Hamilton as he should be engaged in an effort to reduce the fort. Captain Hamilton arrived in season to execute the order with which he was charged, but found that there were only seven or eight aged and infirm men in Carr's Fort who, dreading consequences, refused to undertake the defense of that post. The Americans were so close upon the heels of the British as they entered and took possession of the fort that they were compelled to leave their horses and baggage outside the stockade. A brisk fire was opened on both sides, but without effect. A siege was determined on; and, in order to cut the besieged off from all access to water, Captain William Freeman, with forty men of his company, in gallant style dashed through an open space exposed to the guns of the fort, and took possession of a newly constructed log house which effectually commanded the only source whence the enemy could hope to obtain a supply of water.

...Without food and water it was confidently believed that the enemy could not hold out more than twenty-four hours. Moreover, the possession of the log house near the water gave the assailants command of the tops of the huts inside the fort whence the most injurious fire proceeded. The happy anticipations of the Americans were doomed to disappointment. About ten o'clock at night Colonel Pickens received, at the hands of Captain Ottery, a dispatch from his brother, Captain Joseph Pickens, informing him that Colonel Boyd, with eight hundred loyalists, was moving through Ninety-Six District toward Georgia, destroying by fire and sword whatever lay in its path. It was deemed proper, without delay, to raise the siege and move against Boyd. A proposition was made by some volunteers to apply the torch to the fort at several points at the same time, and thus to compel quick surrender. In tender consideration of the women and children who were within, the idea was abandoned. Carrying off their wounded, the Americans departed leaving Lieutenant-Colonel Hamilton in the fort without horses and baggage. As soon as Pickens and Dooly were out of hearing, he quitted Carr's Fort, retreating upon Wrightsborough, where he occupied a small stockade fort for a few days and then rejoined Colonel Campbell at Augusta. In the affair at Carr's Fort the British lost nine killed and three wounded. The American casualties amounted to five killed and seven wounded.

Retiring from Carr's Fort the Americans recrossed the Savannah River near Fort Charlotte and advanced toward the Long Cane settlement to meet Colonel Boyd. Hearing of his advance, Captain Robert Anderson, of Colonel Pickens' regiment, summoning to his aid Captains Joseph Pickens, William Baskin, and John Miller, with their companies, crossed the Savannah River with a view to annoying Boyd when he should attempt the passage of that stream....In order to avoid Pickens and Dooly, Colonel Boyd changed his route and approached the river at Cherokee ford. Here, upon a commanding elevation, was a block house mounting tow swivel guns and garrisoned by a lieutenant and eight men. A quiet passage having been demanded and refused, Boyd proceeded up the river about five miles, and there placing his men and baggage on rafts, and swimming his horses, effected a crossing. His instructions to his men were to land at different points on the opposite shore. This circumference, in connection with the tall canes growing along the river bank, so confused the small force under Captain Anderson that it did not render an opposition as effectual as might have been expected. That the passage of the river was sharply contested, however, will be readily conceded when we remember that the Americans lost sixteen killed and wounded and an equal number of prisoners. Among the latter were Captains Baskin and Miller. Colonel Boyd acknowledged a loss of one hundred killed, wounded, and missing.

Retreating rapidly, Captain Anderson formed a junction with Colonels Pickens and Dooly and united in pursuit of the enemy....

Seemingly unconscious of the approach of danger, the loyalist commander had halted at a farm on the north side of Kettle Creek, and turned out his horses to forage among the reeds which lined the edge of the swamp. His men, who had been on short allowance for three days, were slaughtering bullocks and parching corn....

As Colonel Pickens neared the enemy, Captain McCall was ordered to reconnoitre his position, and, perceived, to acquire the fullest possible information of the status of affairs. Having completed his observations, that officer reported the encampment formed at the edge of the farm near the creek, on an open piece of ground flanked on two sides by a cane swamp, and that the enemy was apparently in utter ignorance of any hostile approach. The Americans then advanced to the attack. As they neared the camp the pickets fired and retreated. Hastily forming his line in rear of his encampment, and availing himself of the shelter afforded by a fence and some fallen timber, Boyd prepared to repel the assault....Colonel Boyd defended the fence with great bravery, but was finally overpowered and driven back upon the main body. While retreating he fell mortally wounded, pierced with three balls, two passing through his body and the third through his thigh.

The conflict now became close, warm, and general. Some of the enemy, sore pressed, fled into the swamp and passed over the creek, leaving their horses, baggage, and arms behind them.

After a contest lasting an hour the Tories retreated through the swamp....Bloody and obstinate was the conflict. For some time the issue seemed doubtful. At length the Americans obtained complete possession of the hill; and the enemy, routed at all points, fled from the scene of action leaving seventy of their number dead upon the field, and seventy-five wounded and captured. On the part of the Americans nine were slain and twenty-three wounded....This engagement lasted for one hour and forty-five minutes, and during most of that time was hotly contested.

As the guard having charge of the prisoners captured when Boyd crossed the Savannah River heard of the disaster which had overtaken the main body, they voluntarily surrendered themselves, thirty-three in number, to those whom they held in captivity, promising, if allowed to return in peace to their homes, to take the oath of allegiance to the government of the Confederated States.

...The prisoners captured at Kettle Creek were carried to South Carolina, tried, found guilty of treason, and sentenced to death. Only five of the most noted offenders were executed. The others were pardoned....In the affair at Carr's Fort and in the engagement at Kettle Creek the Americans possessed themselves of some six hundred horses and a large quantity of arms, equipments, and clothing. This accession to the scanty stores of the patriots was most opportune and valuable. In the general gloom which was encompassing all, this victory shone line a star of substantial hope, dissipating despair and enkindling confidence in the hearts of the Revolutionists. From the banks of this insignificant stream, rendered historic by the prowess of Pickens, Dooly, Clarke and their valiant followers, there arose a martial shout which proclaimed the restoration of Whig ascendency in Upper Georgia and the discomfiture of the Royalist cohorts. With no uncertain sound did the bugle-blasts then blown summon to further feats of patriotic emprise, and admonish the king's officers that Georgia was not wholly within their grasp."