evolution was Patrick Carr, whose hatred of the Tories made his name
celebrated among the Liberty Boys of Georgia. Paddy Carr, as he was
called, lived and died in Jefferson County. He was born in Ireland, but
came to Georgia before the Revolution. When the independence movement
began, he threw himself into it with all the ardor of his race. Owing to
the cruelty of the Tories, he conceived a special hatred against them.
He showed them no quarter. History gives but a word or two to his
achievements, but tradition still keeps his name alive in the region
where he operated. Like Sallette, he was an independent partisan; but,
unlike Sallette, his operations were among those who could remember well
enough, but who would not take the trouble to preserve the particulars
of even the least of his exploits. We know that Patrick Carr lived. We
know that he became famous where recklessness and daring were common.
But that is nearly all we know. It is said of him that during the war he
killed one hundred Tories with his own hands. Once, when praised for his
bravery, he smiled and shook his head, saying that he would have made
a very good soldier, but the Lord had given him a heart that was too
merciful. He no doubt remembered the atrocities of the Tories in the
section that is now Jefferson, Columbia, Burke, and Wilkes counties. The
cruelties they committed in that region during the Revolution have no
parallel in civilized warfare.

Among the adventurous characters of that time, on the side of the
British, Daniel McGirth stands easily first. The history of his career
during the war is a strange one. He was born in South Carolina,
and entered into the struggle against the British with the utmost
enthusiasm. He was a brave man, a hard fighter, and one of the most
active of those who took up arms against the King. He was an expert
woodsman, and was at home in the saddle. He was assigned to duty as a
scout, and was better equipped for that service, perhaps, than any man
in the American army. The ease with which he secured information of the
enemy's movements and plans, and the energy that marked his movements,
made his services of great value to the patriot cause. This was not
thoroughly appreciated by some of the officers under whom McGirth acted.

He brought with him into the army a mare which he called "The Gray
Goose." She is said to have been an elegant animal, and McGirth was
very proud of her. With this mare under him, he always f