Our Connection – Bottom left of blog: Categories – Huff & Glass Lines.  James Yarbrough, who is not shown on this chart, is the great grandfather of Mary J. Yarbrough (1834 – 1872).

James Yarbrough (1745-1792), a North Carolina resident, came to Georgia in June 1777 to enlist as a private with the Georgia Minutemen Battalions to serve for 2 years.  James served in the 1^st & 2^nd Georgia Minutemen Battalions, under Lt. Colonel Elijah Clarke & Colonel Samuel Jack.

Georgia was the youngest of the colonies and the least populated with only 2000 men to defend her borders. Settlers depended upon British forces to protect them from frequent Indian attacks. In the early months of independence, many Georgians signed Letters of Support to England.

Georgia was a chaotic place to live during the Revolutionary War.  The British raided southern portions of the colony stealing provisions, livestock and food from the farms, often killing the men. Throughout the colony, the British encouraged and supported the Indians in attacking and burning settlers’ homes.  Upon discovering identities of patriots, the British directed attacks to destroy their homes, forcing their families to flee. After these atrocities, most Georgians reversed their allegiance to the Crown.

The Georgia Minutemen, including James Yarbrough, fought to drive out the British, who were entrenched at St. Augustine in the British province of East Florida.  In June 1778, Lt. Colonel Elijah Clarke led his battalion in an engagement against the British at The Battle of Alligator Creek near Callahan, Florida. 

In this disastrous battle, Clarke’s 300 Georgia minutemen fought against a much larger force of 800 British regulars soldiers, Loyalists and Indians. This third and final attempt by the Patriots to overtake the British in East Florida, resulted in defeat of Clarke’s Minutemen. Click on The Battle of Alligator Creek for more information.

As the Georgia Minutemen were disbanded in 1778, I have no documentary evidence of James Yarbrough’s further involvement in the American Revolution from 1778 – 1783, when the British surrendered at Yorktown.  However, circumstantial evidence supports James Yarbrough fought in some Clarke-commanded engagements after 1778.

James Yarbrough had served with Elijah Clarke in 1777-1778.  James lived in Clarke’s militia district, as he received a land grant that was awarded based on residency within the state during the Revolutionary War.  Elijah Clarke, commander of the local militia, signed the certificate which authorized the land grant of 287 ½ acres in Washington County, which encompassed what is now Greene, Hancock and Washington and other counties.

Colonel Clarke was an infamous military leader.  On February 14, 1779, Clarke led a group of Georgia and South Carolina militiamen to a surprise victory over some 600 Loyalists at Kettle Creek in his home county of Wilkes, near present day Washington, GA. Even after Georgia and South Carolina had fallen to the British, Clarke led his men on guerrilla raids that extracted heavy tolls on the British.  In June 1781, Clarke led Georgia militia that helped force the British to evacuate Augusta.

With their history of military service and living in proximity, it is likely that James Yarbrough fought at The Battle of Kettle Creek with Elijah Clarke.   Click on The Battle of Kettle Creek, to learn more about this battle in Georgia.

During the Revolutionary War, James Yarbrough’s family remained in North Carolina as some of his children are known to be born in North Carolina.  At this time in 2020, I do not know what county in North Carolina they resided.

Complicating this research, is the fact that there is a James Yarbrough from North Carolina who served in the 6^th North Carolina Regiment and is listed among those weary soldiers who were encamped at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-1778.  According to documents, this James Yarbrough died in 1779 during his service.

For further reading on the Revolutionary War in Georgia, I recommend President Jimmy Carter’s book , The Hornet’s Nest, a historical novel based on his ancestors who lived in Georgia and South Carolina. It leans heavier toward history than well-rounded characters. But it is quite informative and contains rarely read history on the war in this region.  President Carter researched 45 non-fiction books to educate him on facts and farm life during this period of history.