“Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like
men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it.”
Thomas
Paine, September 11, 1777
American
Flags lined both sides of Lexington Avenue as we entered the quaint
town of Washington, Georgia last weekend. We were heading to the
town square for Revolutionary Days to celebrate the 241st anniversary
of the Battle Of Kettle Creek. This event was sponsored by the
Georgia Society Sons of the American Revolution. We parked on the
side of the road and made our way to the town square where there was
a flurry of activity. Many men, women and children, dressed in
Colonial clothing were milling around the square and some with
muskets in hand. Fife and drum music was playing in the
background.
The
men and boys were lining up in rows and were either dressed as a
Patriot or a Loyalist. The young and the old stood side by side with
their muskets in hand. For the most part, the Patriots had no
uniforms so they wore their civilian clothing. They were all dressed
differently at they got into formation.
Some
of the men were wearing coonskin hats and Daniel Boone looking deer skin pioneer clothing. Most wore the Militia Tricorn, which is a
three cornered hat or a un-cocked hat, which is a round hat, usually
made from animal fiber or wool. Some had on greatcoats and most all
had neckerchiefs or neck stocks around their necks. Neckerchiefs or
neck stocks were worn since a man was not properly dressed without
one.
Since
the Patriots were not well funded they just wore their civilian
clothes. Most wore either black leather shoes with buckles or lace
up half boots. Some wore full length trousers and some wore knee
breeches. The Loyalist on the other hand, were well funded and wore
red uniform jackets and became known as redcoats. American service
members were red, white, and blue uniforms. Both uniforms were
brightly colored and easily identified and seen through the smoke of
the battlefield. The women wore long Colonial dresses and all
had hats or caps on their heads.
The
militia men and boys lined up preparing to to a three round musket
volley. The color guard and drummer, in full uniform, stood on the
side and announced what was about to happen. We were all prepared
for the firing. “Ready, Aim, Fire.” Loud blasts burst through
the air with many people taken by surprise by the noise. Even the
children who had their ears plugged jumped. The white smoke from the
muskets enveloped the soldiers. They reloaded and packed their black
powder muskets, “Ready, Aim, Fire.” Again everyone jumped but
not a word was spoken. “Reload. Ready, Aim, Fire.” The smell
of the gun powder filled the air. The troops were released at that
point and it was announced a parade would occur in about a half and
hour.
One
of the buildings on the square had a display of various wares,
crafts, and tools from the Revolutionary War time so we headed in to
check it out. They had musicians playing and towns people dressed
in the clothes of the days talking about what was there. There were
homemade quilts and their was a demonstration of how to make dolls
from corn husks. It was interesting to see and felt good being out
of the cold since the day brought overcast skies and temperatures in
the low 40’s. Next door was a coffee shop that was bustling with
crowds of people ordering coffee, tea, and hot chocolate to take the
chill out of them.
We
got back outside in time for the parade. First, all that was heard
was the drum, then it got silent as the troops marched by us. They
marched around the square twice so everyone could get pictures of
them. There were some ladies in the parade as well followed by the
Wilkes/Washington High School Band who played during part of the
march. It felt so moving seeing them march by, hearing their feet
stomp on the pavement only, and imagining what it was like for these
men and women during that time. I loved the spirit of the lady with
the musket in the parade.
When
they finished the parade, they marched behind the Wilkes County
Courthouse to Fort Washington Park to preform the re-enactment.
They didn’t do it at Kettle Creek Battlefield since it was eight
miles from downtown. This park suited the purposes of having people
understand this battle and relive history and not have to travel.
Before
the re-enactment started a female announcer explained what the battle
was about. The Battle of Kettle Creek occurred on February 14, 1779
and was minor battle but ended up being important for the moral for
the Americans. A Loyalist group that was lead by Colonel James Boyd,
headed south after capturing Savannah. Boyd had started out with 800
Tories but on the way 100 men suffered casualties on their march
south. When he crossed the Savannah River, he ordered his exhausted
men to rest at a camp on the north side of Kettle Creek. Boyd had
no idea that 350 Patriots under Colonel Andrew Pickens were close by.
Pickens split his men into three columns and did a surprise attack
starting at 10 am on morning of February 14th. Patriots were
outnumbered nearly two to one but because Boyd and his men taken by
surprised, the Patriots were able to succeed. Colonel John Boyd was
hit several times and died on the battlefield. The rest of the
Loyalists retreated.
The
battle lasted four hours. There were 1,050 forces that were
engaged. The Americans had 420 men and the British had 700. The
Americans had 7 – 9 men killed and 14 – 23 were wounded or
missing. The British had 40 – 70 men killed and 75 were wounded
or captured.
So
the announcer finished giving us the history and the reenactors
brought history to life. It was interesting watching how they
fought. They had to reload their weapons every time they made a
shot. After each shot, the front row retreated to the back row to
reload while the front row took a shot. The Patriots got closer but
the Loyalist kept retreating. Then one of the Loyalist yelled that
Colonel Boyd was shot and was down. His men gathered around him as
the Patriots advanced. Then it was shouted that Boyd was dead. At
that point, the Loyalist started saying it was over while still
shooting. The Patriots advanced and the Loyalist retreated.
It
was a great show and you could tell the reenactors took pride in
bringing this history alive once again. Americans are proud people
and cherish our past and our ancestors. We really enjoyed this
event and it moved us knowing what it was like for the soldiers
during that time. Thanks to everyone who participated in this event
to make it so special. As we were leaving to go home, it started to
rain. Perfect timing. I’m glad the rain held off. We were cold
but not wet. If you get a chance to see a re-enactment like this,
get out and do it. They did a great job here and I’m sure their
ancestors would be proud.
Washington,
Georgia is a great town to visit with many good places to eat,
museums, and monuments. In fact, the only existing monument honoring
African-American Revolutionary Soldiers is located on the square near
where the soldiers did the musket volley. There is a lot to do in
this little town and they have many events during the year. Check
this town out.
Till next time. Bye for now.
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