tdih-james-screvens

His sacrifice came as British Lt. Colonel Prevost was leading a force through Georgia in late 1778. Prevost was destroying homes and fields as he went. In the meantime, 100 Continentals under Colonel John White were posted at Midway Church in St. John’s Parish. Their objective was to slow Prevost down until reinforcements could arrive. Screven came to White’s aid; he was leading a group of 20 militia.
According to some accounts, when Screven arrived at White’s location, he told White that he thought he’d found a better defensive position. The troops were to be moved to “an advantageous piece of ground, about a mile and a half south of Medway meeting-house, where the main road was skirted by a thick wood.”
It didn’t go well. It turns out that Loyalist Thomas Brown was in the area. He was leading the King’s Rangers. As Screven led a reconnoitering effort, Brown ambushed him. Screven fell, wounded. At least one other was killed. The Americans retreated, and Screven fell into enemy hands.