Georgia Revolutionary War Important People AC SS

Who were the signers of the Declaration in 1776 ?

Button Gwinnett (1735 – 1777)  Born in England - acquired a larger land tract in 1765  Poor at farming, he was well spoken & respected  Long –standing rival of Lachlan McIntosh – military leader  Elected to Continental Congress, 1776  Returning to Georgia, he hoped to command the Georgia Militia – but McIntosh was given the appointment  Succeeded Bulloch as President of the Council of Safety  Early 1777, was charged with malfeasance (misuse of authority) for an aborted attempt to invade Florida. He was cleared of wrong-doing.  Ran an unsuccessful campaign for Governor of Georgia  His honor challenged by McIntosh, they met in a duel outside of Savanna, May 16, Both were wounded. Gwinnett died 3 days later. He was 42.

Lyman Hall, M.D. ( )  Born-Connecticut. Studied Medicine at Yale  Moved to Charleston to set-up medical practice  Bought land in Georgia in 1760, established a Plantation  Returned to Charleston in 1774, a revolutionary partisan  Made an enemy of Georgia Governor James Wright  Elected to Continental Congress, 1775; Involved in provisioning food and medicine for Revolutionary Armies  Returned to Georgia in 1777 due to state matters and his longtime friend Button Gwinnett.  Hall’s property burned. Accused of Treason, he fled to Charleston / then Connecticut.  Returned in 1783; Delegate to Georgia House of Assembly  Served 1 yr. As Governor, then Judge. Returned to private life – stayed involved with state agriculture

George Walton, Lawyer ( )  Born-Virginia.Moved to Savanna-1769; studied Law; admitted 1774  Deeply involved in the Patriot Movement; became Secretary of the Georgia Provincial Congress and made President of the Council of Safety. Elected to the Continental Congress  Allied with General Lachlan McIntosh, he fought against Button Gwinnett for political dominance of the state  1778-Colonel in the Georgia Militia.  Wounded in Battle. Captured. Released in 1779 through a prisoner exchange.  Elected Governor for 2 months – dismissed from office for alleged “criminal activities on others.”  Returned to Congress in Philadelphia in

George Walton, Cont’d  1783 – was censured by the legislature for his involvement in the duel that caused Button Gwinnetts’ death  Commissioned to treat with the Cherokee Nation in TN.  Appointed Chief Justice of Georgia  1789 – served in the college of Electors and Elected Governor. Changes in the Georgia Constitution that year caused Walton to step down in November.  Immediately appointed a Superior Court Judge.  1795 – Sent to U.S. Senate to complete the unfulfilled term of Sen. James Jackson (resigned). He was not reelected.  Retired to Farming. Died in Augusta in 1804 (age 64)

Heroes, Heroines, & Outsiders Elijah ClarkePrivate Austin Dabney Nancy Hart

Elijah Clarke (1742 – 1799)  Born in North Carolina – impoverished, illiterate frontiersman  Clarke’s name appears on a petition in support of the King in 1774  Joined the Rebels. As a Militia Captain, fought the Cherokees-1776  became a lieutenant colonel in the state minutemen  February 1779 – led the charge in a rebel victory at Kettle Creek  Escaped the British-1780, by crossing through Native lands, continuing the fight as a partisan in the Carolinas. Led frontier guerillas in major battles. Attains rank of General.  Survived battle wounds, smallpox, and mumps during the Revolution  The State of Georgia rewarded Clarke with a Plantation. Served in the State Assembly & in the state Constitutional Convention of 1789  Clarke also rec’d thousands of acres of land (some questionably) & participated in the Yazoo land fraud in the 1790’s  Disenchanted, Clarke tries to form a country-Trans-Oconee Republic by seizing Creek land on the frontier  Discredited and almost bankrupt Elijah Clarke dies in Augusta.

“Aunt” Nancy Hart ( )  Born in North Carolina (some say as late as 1747)  Hart and Family made their way into Georgia in the early 1770’s  Hart was Cousin to Revolutionary General Daniel Morgan. Husbands’ family later produced Sen. Thomas Hart Benton (Mo.), & Kentucky Senator Henry Clay.  6 ft. tall, gangly with red hair and a smallpox scarred face with a hot temper, fearless spirit and a taste for vengeance on those who harmed her, her family and friends.  Local Indians called her “Wahatche” / “War Woman.” She was a domineering wife and mother of 8 (6 boys / 2 girls). An expert herbalist, a skilled hunter and despite crossed eyes – an excellent shot  Benjamin Hart served as a lieutenant in the Militia under Elijah Clarke, while Nancy was left alone to defend and care for the children for most of the Revolution.  “Aunt Nancy” became a spy, disguising herself as a simple-minded man who wandered into Tory camps and garrisons to get information

“Aunt” Nancy Hart ( )  The most famous events took place at the family cabin…Text Pg 159.  The Harts lived in the Broad River area several years after the war  Nancy became devout Methodist  Late 1790’s, the Harts moved to Brunswick, GA – Benjamin Hart died  1803 John Hart took Nancy and his family and moved to Henderson County in Tennessee. She is buried there.  1912 discovery makes legend into fact

Austin Dabney (1765 – 1830)  Born to slaves in North Carolina in the 1760s. Austin moved with his master, Richard Aycock, to Wilkes Cty, Georgia in the 1770s.  Aycock was conscripted & sent Dabney to join the Militia as a substitute. He served as an artilleryman under Elijah Clarke.  Dabney is believed to be the only black soldier to participate in the Battle of Kettle Creek in  Severely wounded in the thigh, Dabney was cared for by Giles Harris, a white soldier.  Leaving the service with a rank of Private, Dabney is granted 50 acres of land, is emancipated from his owner, a pension for his wounds at Kettle Creek, and in 1821, additional property.  Dabney worked for the Harris Family for the rest of his life, supporting Giles’ son, William through Franklin College (UGA)  He died in Zebulon and is buried in the Harris family plot