Background
Elijah Clarke was born in 1742 at Anson County, North Carolina.
Elijah Clarke was born in 1742 at Anson County, North Carolina.
Clarke served in the Georgia Militia during the American Revolutionary War. When the state troops disbanded after the surrender of Savannah, he became a lieutenant colonel in the Wilkes County Militia. He fought in the southern theater and served under Colonel
Andrew Pickens in the Battle of Kettle Creek.
After the war, Clarke was elected to the Georgia legislature. In 1794 he organized the Transport-Oconee Republic, several settlements in counties of Georgia in traditional Creek territory.
From there he attacked Creek villages, but was restrained by Georgia Governor George Mathews. Clarke died on December 15, 1799.
Clarke and his actions served as one of the sources for the fictional character of Benjamin Martin in The Patriot, a film released in 2000.
He is also a major character in the historical novel The Hornet"s Nest by Jimmy Carter.