Colonel Elijah Clarke | Musgrove Mill

Colonel Elijah Clarke was the leader of the Wilkes County, Georgia militia. He along with Col. Isaac Shelby, leader of the Overmountain men militia, and Col James Williams, leader of the Little River militia, formed a new strategy for attacking the British. This new strategy involved the militia men hiding behind trees and/or rocks so they could take deadly aim at British and Loyalist soldiers. This was a type of fighting with no holds barred.

In the Battle of Musgrove Mill, this strategy for the patriots proved to be a ray of hope-- that the British forces were not invincible.

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IMAGE CREDIT: The portrait of Colonel Elijah Clarke was painted by Thomas Kelly Pauley.

Standards

• 4-3 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the conflict between the American colonies and England.
  • Revolutions result from resistance to conditions that are perceived as unfair by the people who are demanding change. The changes brought about by revolution can be both positive and negative. To understand the results of the conflict between the Amer...
    • 4-3.3 Summarize the importance of the key battles of the Revolutionary War and the reasons for American victories including Lexington and Concord, Bunker (Breed’s) Hill, Charleston, Saratoga, Cowpens, and Yorktown.
• 8-2 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the causes of the American Revolution and the beginnings of the new nation, with an emphasis on South Carolina’s role in the development of that nation.
  • The events surrounding the American Revolution transformed British colonists into American citizens. To understand South Carolina’s pivotal role in this process, the student will utilize the knowledge and skills set forth in the following indica...
    • 8-2.1 Explain the political and economic consequences of the French and Indian War on the relationship of the South Carolina colonists with Native Americans and England.