Battle of Briar Creek

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Battle of Brier Creek

Date	March 3, 1779
Location	near Savannah River, Georgia
Result	Loyalist victory

Combatants

Patriot militia

Loyalist militia

Commanders

John Ashe
Samuel Elbert

Archibald Campbell
Mark Prevost

Strength

1,700

2,300 (including 900 Loyalists)

Casualties

Over 200 killed
173 (including Elbert) captured

5 killed
11 wounded

Southern theater (1775–83)
Gunpowder Incident – Great Bridge – Moore's Creek Bridge – Rice Boats – Alligator Bridge – Beaufort – Kettle Creek – Briar Creek – Stono Ferry – Savannah – Waxhaw - Charleston – Camden – Kings Mountain – Cowpens – Guilford Court House – Hobkirk's Hill – Eutaw Springs – Yorktown

The Battle of Brier Creek was a American Revolutionary War battle that took place on March 3, 1779, near the Savannah River in the colony of Georgia.

After a victory at the Battle of Kettle Creek against Loyalist commander Colonel James Boyd, North Carolina patriot troops under the command of General John Ashe were hot on the trail of British Colonel Archibald Campbell and his troops, who withdrew from Augusta, Georgia after seeing the North Carolina Troops. A planned rendezvous at Wrightsboro, Georgia led to the capture of some of Boyd's men when Campbell failed to show up without informing Boyd. While Ashe’s troops were on the trail, however, Campbell was reinforced with men from Savannah, Georgia, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Jaques-Marc (Mark) Prevost, brother of the British commander Augustin Prevost . Together, the British forces totaled 2,300 men.

General Benjamin Lincoln called a council of war comprised of Generals Ashe,William Moultrie and Griffith Rutherford. The plans were to have Moultrie and Rutherford's armies cross the Savannah to join up with Ashe. General Ashe believed he was safe camped in his position on near Brier Creek and the Savannah River. However, his right flank was exposed. General Prevost determined to attack Ashe's army at this weak point before the armies could combine.

On March 3, British Major MacPherson and the 71st Regiment appeared in front of Ashe's army and appeared to cross the Savannah. Distracted by MacPherson's move, Prevost led a surprise attack to Ashe's rear with an army of 900 regulars and loyalist militia. The North Carolinians, along with Ashe, fled the scene of the battle. Only Colonel Samuel Elbert and his Georgia militia remained. Outnumbered and overpowered, the men defended the camp until almost all were dead. The late afternoon action ended around sunset, with the rebel forces suffering a humiliating defeat. Almost 400 patriot militia were killed or captured, whilst the Loyalist militia only lost 5 men.

The Loyalist victory at Brier Creek essentially reversed the gains by the continental army in the Georgia backcountry since the Battle of Kettle Creek. The region was now firmly under British control.