Battle of Breakfast Branch
Wilcox County, Wilcox County, Georgia
Marker Inscription
Battle of Breakfast Branch. Near this spot on March 9, 1818, 34 men of the Telfair County Militia, commanded by Major Josiah D. Cawthon, engaged about 60 Creek Indians in combat. Four Indians and five whites, including Capt. Benjamin Mitchell Griffin were killed. Three whites, including Mark Willcox (later Major General), were wounded. Willcox was saved by Nat Statham and Wiley Ellison who carried him back to the Ocmulgee river while under fire. This was the last battle between Indians and whites in this vicinity. 156-5 GEORGIA HISTORIC MARKER 1987
Erected by Georgia Historical Commission
The Story
On March 9, 1818, near this spot, 34 men of the Telfair County Militia under Major Josiah D. Cawthon clashed with about 60 Creek warriors. The fight left four Indians and five white men dead, including Capt. Benjamin Mitchell Griffin, and several wounded — among them Mark Willcox, later a major general, who was carried to safety under fire by Nat Statham and Wiley Ellison. It was remembered as the last battle between Indians and settlers in this part of Georgia.
Why it matters
The skirmish marks the violent close of the frontier era along the Ocmulgee, as expanding white settlement pushed the Creeks from their Georgia homelands.
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Related people
- · Josiah D. Cawthon
- · Mark Willcox
- · Benjamin Mitchell Griffin
- · Nat Statham
- · Wiley Ellison
Related events
- · Battle of Breakfast Branch
Themes & tags
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