Elijah Clarke was born near Tarboro in
Edgecombe County,
Province of North Carolina, the son of John Clarke of
Anson County, North Carolina. 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 Col.
Andrew Pickens in the
Battle of Kettle Creek. He was one of three American commanders at the
Battle of Musgrove’s Mill, during which he was wounded. In early 1794, he was asked if he'd be interested in leading a French invasion of Spanish
East Florida, but President George Washington persuaded the French government to cancel the project. Instead of invading Florida, Clarke led men from
Wilkes County into Creek lands. In 1794 he organized the
Trans-Oconee Republic, several settlements in traditional Creek territory. He was forced to withdraw his settlements by Georgia Governor
George Matthews. ==Death and legacy==