Thursday, October 1, 2026
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t is impossible to separate the real Daniel McGirt of the American Revolution from the myth that grew around his name.
The historical Daniel McGirt was the son of James and Priscilla Davison McGirt of St. Philip’s Parish, South Carolina, and the brother-in-law of the prominent Patriot Kershaw family of Camden.
According to legend, McGirt served in the Georgia Continental (American) Horse Regiment until an officer arrested and abused him. An avid breeder of fine horses, McGirt’s favorite mount was a magnificent mare he called Grey Goose. His devotion to her drew the envy of a Continental officer who coveted the animal and, unable to obtain her by fair means, swore he would take her by force. When the officer attempted to do so, McGirt struck the officer to the ground. For this act of insubordination, he was court-martialed, found guilty of a serious violation of the rules of war, and publicly whipped at the post. By the terms of his sentence, a second whipping to be subsequently inflicted.
Stung to madness by this disgrace, McGirt resolved to escape, perhaps with the connivance of his guards. Seizing the chance, he mounted Grey Goose, tethered nearby, and made a wild dash for freedom. Turning in his saddle, however, he hurled curses and threats at his former comrades. He would, without mercy, fulfill those threats!
McGirt became a raider for the Crown in British East Florida and assembled a ruthless gang. The South Carolina Gazette of July 7, 1779, reported:
“A large body of the most infamous banditti and horse thieves that perhaps ever were collected together anywhere, under the direction of McGirtt (dignified with the title of colonel), a corps of Indians, with Negro and white savages disguised like them, and about 1,500 of the most savage disaffected poor people, seduced from the back settlements of this State and North Carolina.”
Plantations were said to have been laid waste, their livestock, silver plate, provisions, and even slaves stolen.
When the British invaded Georgia in 1778, McGirt’s raiders came with them. His reputation for terror was such that his name was invoked in nearly every skirmish, whether or not he was actually present.
On August 24, 1779, McGirt's band was surprised by the militia under Col. John Twiggs and the Continental Horse under Lt. Col. John Jamison. McGirt escaped the defeat at Widow Lockhart's plantation, but he was so badly wounded that he was mistakenly reported dead.
When royal authority returned in 1780, McGirt continued his banditry, reportedly boasting that he could now “buy his weight in gold.” His notoriety was such that British Gen. Augustine Prévost even considered creating a special cavalry corps under McGirt’s command to counter Patriot raids.
In June 1781, when American forces besieged the Loyalist garrison at Augusta, only McGirt volunteered to organize a relief force—but instead used the opportunity to commit further robbery. Repeated attempts to bring justice failed. Witnesses were threatened, and false testimony was sworn on his behalf.
After the American Revolution ended, and East Florida was transferred to Spain, the British and Spanish governments worked together to stop McGirt. In 1784, he was briefly imprisoned in the Castillo de San Marcos at St. Augustine but managed to escape and return to Georgia.
In May 1788, McGirt was captured in Effingham County, Georgia, by militia under Capt. William Cone. Though the state’s Act of Banishment allowed for his hanging, he was released instead. Captured again in 1795 and brought before authorities in St. Marys, Camden County, he was once more set free.
According to research by Gordon B. Smith, Daniel McGirt died in late 1804 at St. Marys, Georgia—a respected citizen, surrounded by his family.
