<P> On February 10, Pickens and Dooly crossed the Savannah River to attack a British Army camp southeast of Augusta . Finding the camp unoccupied, they learned that the company was out on an extended patrol . Suspecting they would head for a stockaded frontier post called Carr's Fort, Pickens sent men directly there while the main body chased after the British . The British made it into the fort, but were forced to abandon their horses and baggage outside its walls . Pickens then besieged the fort until he learned that Boyd was passing through the Ninety Six district of South Carolina with seven to eight hundred Loyalists, headed for Georgia . He reluctantly raised the siege and moved to intercept Boyd . </P> <P> Pickens established a strong presence near the mouth of the Broad River, where he expected Boyd might try to cross . However, Boyd, his force grown by then to 800 men, chose to go to the north . He first tried Cherokee Ford, the southernmost fording of the Savannah River, where he was met with some resistance known as the Engagement at McGowen's Blockhouse . The encounter consisted of a detachment of eight Patriots commanded by Capt . Robert Anderson with two small swivel guns in an entrenched position, who thwarted Boyd's approach to Cherokee Ford . Boyd moved north upstream about 5 miles (8.0 km) and crossed the Savannah River there, skirmishing with a small Patriot force that had shadowed his movements on the Georgia side . Boyd reported losing 100 men, killed, wounded, or deserted, in the encounter . </P> <P> By the time Pickens learned that Boyd had crossed the river, he had himself crossed into South Carolina in an attempt to intercept Boyd . He immediately recrossed into Georgia upon learning of Boyd's whereabouts . On February 14, Pickens caught up with Boyd when he paused to rest his troops near Kettle Creek, only a few miles from Colonel McGirth's Loyalist camp . </P> <P> Boyd was apparently unaware that he was being followed so closely, and his camp, even though guards were posted, was not particularly alert . Pickens advanced, leading the center, with his right flank under Colonel Dooly and his left under Georgia Lieutenant Colonel Elijah Clarke . Gunfire between Patriot scouts and the camp guards alerted Boyd to the situation . Boyd formed a defensive line near the camp's rear and advanced with a force of 100 men to oppose Pickens at a crude breastwork made of fencing and fallen trees . Pickens, whose advance gave him the advantage of high ground, was able to flank this position, even though his own wings were slowed by the swampy conditions near the creek . In heavy fighting, Boyd went down with a mortal wound, and the small company retreated back to the main Loyalist line . </P>

Who led georgians to victory against the british in the battle of kettle creek