Monday's monthly luncheon with the Bulloch County Historical Society was OUTSTANDING!
Dr. John Derden, presented the program on the American Revolution War Battle at Brier Creek, fought on March 3rd, 1779 in Screven County (Sylvania).
This battlefield is located in northeast Screven County near the confluence of Brier Creek with the Savannah River on land owned by the state of Georgia and managed by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) as part of the Tuckahoe Wildlife Management Area (WMA). This location is 16.75 km northeast of the city of Sylvania adjacent to Brannens Bridge Road.
In 2006, the City of Sylvania received an enhancement grant from the Georgia Department of Transportation GDOT) to locate the battlefield. Specifically the City required that the current study defined the limits of the Brier Creek Battlefield and attempted to locate the associated gravesites of at least 150 Revolutionary War soldiers. The City also desired to define the remnants of the Augusta Savannah River Road and the old Miller Bridge area near the location of Cannon Lake.
Before Dr. Derden’s presentation, a luncheon, was held in the Social Hall of Pittman Park Church. The room was full with almost 100+ guests, all looking very forward to Dr. John Derden’s “plain vanilla presentation of Georgia’s Forgotten Battle at Brier Creek,” he said.
We enjoyed a delightful NON-traditional lunch of Sliced Roast Beef with Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Glazed Carrots, Tossed Salad, Yeast Rolled with Butter and to TOP OFF the meal, the dessert was Peach Cobbler..JUST PERFECT and VERY YUMMY!
Dr. Derdan presented the program ‘With Passion and Enthusiasm’. He elaborated in GREAT detail using Slides and Maps about this 'FORGOTTEN BATTLE,’ almost in our backyard. Seldom is this battle discussed. Dr. Derden said, ”Brier Creek was one of the most consequential yet ‘little known’ battles of the American Revolution.”
The total amount of casualties in the Battle of Brier Creek was 393 (Americans 377 and British 16). The consequence of the battle included:
- It halted the Patriot momentum
- It secured Georgia from the Crown
- It re-established Royal governing in Georgia
- It was a catastrophic loss for the Patriots
- It endangered Charleston
Wanting to know more about the Battle of Brier Creek and other battles in the area? There are amazing resources available through the Georgia Southern History Department.
Dr. John Derden distributed a handout of several resources, which included:
- Gen.William Moultrie, Memoirs of the American Revolution, 2 vols(1802)
- The Royal Georgia Gazette (Savannah), March 11, 1779
- Cypress Consultants (Beaufort,S.C.) ”America Loses a Star and a Stripe: The Revolutionary War Battle of Brier Creek (95N254), Screven County,” Georgia 2015
Dr. Derden ended his presentation by letting everyone know that a Memorial is now in the planning stages for the Brier Creek Battle site.
Dr. Brent Tharp, BCHS board member and Director of the Georgia Southern University Museum, mentioned they are involved with archeological digs and materials for future exhibits. HOW WONDERFUL is this!
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