Hello and thank you for joining the american revolution this week episode to thirteen the battle of briar creek last week we looked at some of the british efforts to expand on the capture of savannah by sending an expedition to port royal island in south carolina and to set up a loyalist recruitment center in augusta georgia. The port royal expedition failed to secure the island and the british only remained in augusta for several weeks. Before withdrawing the british under colonel archibald campbell left augusta on february fourteenth. Seventeen seventy nine. The same day as the battle of kettle creek that i talked about last week. Campbell had already issued orders to withdraw the day before so the loss of kettle creek had nothing to do with his decision rather it had to do with the arrival of more patriot. Militia reinforcements at curry's bird. General benjamin lincoln had set up command at perry's berg which sat on the south carolina side of the savannah river between the main british force at savannah and campbell's outpost agosta. The british feared that the americans might cross the river to cut off and isolate the smaller contingent at augusta for several weeks. That was not a concern because the americans did not have enough men. General lincoln had about three hundred and fifty continental soldiers at perry's berg along with about a thousand militia from georgia and south carolina. The bulk of the militia. It was from south. Carolina and by all accounts was poorly organized. Lincoln was concerned about having to use them in battle. Also many of the south carolina militia refused to cross the border into georgia as they had with lincoln's predecessor. General robert how the south carolina militia officers refused to take orders from the continental commander continental. General william altri from south carolina himself wrote in one report that the south carolina militia work quote worst than nothing as a absolutely refused. General lincoln's orders. This situation changed on january. Twenty ninth when general linkin receive the first of his requested reinforcements more than eleven hundred north carolina militia under the command of general john ash lincoln ordered ash to join south carolina. General andrew williamson. Who had a smaller force of militia. Just across the savannah river from augusta. It was after ashes. Reinforcements appeared across the river from augusta. That british colonel campbell decided to evacuate the city. I mentioned andrew williamson back in episode one ninety one. When then colonel williamson had commanded the south carolina militia that participated in the effort with continental general robert how to invade british controlled east.