Born: 1733; Edgecombe County, South Carolina
Died: December 15, 1799; Richmond County
After the War: 1781-1799
Even after the war was over, Elijah Clarke continued to serve in the militia. In 1781, even before fighting was over to the north, Clarke was back fighting Indians. In recognition for his services, the Georgia House of Assembly granted him a plantation in Wilkes County. In 1787, he defeated Indians at Jack's Creek, Walton County. When he finally retired from the militia, he had reached the rank of Brigadier General. In 1793, Clarke began service with the French as a major general, salaried at $10,000 a year. He assisted French mininster to the United States Citizen Genêt in his schemes to gain control of West Florida from the Spanish, but Genêt was recalled before they could be carried out.
In May, 1794, Clarke led many veterans across the Oconee River, where they began to build forts. He established the Republic of Georgia, now known as the Transoconee Republic, complete with a constitution and a committee of safety. These actions alarmed Georgia and the newly formed United States. On September 28, 1794, it came to an end, when he surrendered to a force of Georgia and Federal troops sent by Georgia Governor George Mathews. He was later accused of continued designs on West Florida and may even have been involved in the Yazoo Land Fraud. Despite these dubious pursuits, Clarke still retained his hero status when he died in 1799.
