History, pageantry to fill Washington with 'Revolutionary Days' set for this weekend

Hundreds will gather at War Hill for the annual commemoration of the Battle of Kettle Creek in 1779.

Washington and Wilkes County will be full of Revolutionary Warera drama and pageantry starting Friday morning and continuing through Saturday and Sunday as participants celebrate "Revolutionary Days" in memory of the Battle of Kettle Creek here in 1779.

"There's something for everyone at Revolutionary Days celebration this weekend. Kids, especially, have the opportunity to learn about what Wilkes County was like in Revolutionary times," said Washington- Wilkes Tourism Director Ashley Barnett.

The weekend's activities begin at 3 p.m. Friday afternoon at the Mary Willis Library with a presentation by Dr. Christine Swager, Revolutionary War author, entitled "Georgia Militia after Kettle Creek."

Also on Friday afternoon, entries in the Kettle Creek Poster Contest will be displayed at the Mary Willis Library. Washington- Wilkes Middle School 8th grade students created the posters during their Social Studies classes. The top posters will be announced during The Square activities on Saturday and the many posters will be displayed for celebration participants.

A full day of Saturday activities for young and old begins at 8:30 a.m. with a showing of the Kettle Creek Video at the Mary Willis Library. U.S. Army Historians from Fort Gordon, Dr. Walt Andrae and Steven Rauch, will provide a brief summary of the battle and answer questions. The Army-produced video will be available at the Library for "on demand" showing throughout the day.

The big parade starts at 10 a.m. as SAR Color Guards in Continental Army uniforms and militia attire lead members of the Children, Daughters and Sons of the American Revolution organizations, Revolutionary War re-enactors, and local Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and other youth organizations participating in the annual march through Washington.

Starting at the Mary Willis Library and ending on Washington's historic Square in front of the Wilkes County Courthouse, the parade participants will take a step back in time to honor the founding Patriots and recall the Battle of Kettle Creek.

A ceremony in front of the courthouse will acknowledge the naming of the City of Washington as a result of an act of the Georgia Legislature on January 23, 1780.

Then, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Nancy Hart, and many others will perform in living history demonstrations on The Square. The theme for the living history activities will be "Imagine Living in Wilkes County During the Revolutionary War."

There will be several activities for children on The Square, including learning to play Colonial games and learning how to march with muskets. One exhibit will feature Colonial ladies and children's clothing and another exhibit will include a demonstration of Colonial spinning techniques.

When children have completed at least fiveactivities, they can "report" to the Militia who will help them sign an oath of allegiance and receive their reward. Black tricorn hats ($3) and white mob caps ($2) will be available for the participants to purchase.

Throughout the day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., an open house will be held at the Washington Historical Museum.

Out at the Kettle Creek Battleground, located ten miles from Washington off SR 44, Saturday activities start with walking tours. U.S. Army historians will conduct walking tours from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., tracing the steps of the Loyalists and the Patriots as they fought on February 14, 1779.

Saturday's highlight will be the pageantry at the 2 p.m. battleground memorial ceremony at the Kettle Creek Monument on the top of War Hill. Wreath presentations by the various organizations and descendants will honor the memory of the Patriots who fought. The Kettle Creek DAR Chapter will decorate the commemorative markers that list the names of the battle participants.

Sunday will begin with a Colonial Church Service held at the Bethel United Methodist Church at 9 a.m., and sponsored by the Georgia Society SAR Chaplaincy Corps. Bethel Church is located on Skull Shoals Road, about seven miles from Wash- ington off SR 44.

Also on Sunday, representatives of the Children, Daughters and Sons of the American Revolution organizations will gather at 11:30 a.m. at the gravesite of Elijah Clarke for a ceremony to recognize his part in the successful Battle of Kettle Creek. Additional living history activities are scheduled at the Elijah Clark State Park near Lincolnton on Sunday.

The celebration is sponsored by the Georgia Society, Athens Chapter and Samuel Elbert Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution with the support of many Washington organizations, including the Kettle Creek Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution, City of Washington, Wilkes County, Washington-Wilkes Chamber of Commerce; Washington-Wilkes Historical Foundation, Mary Willis Library, Washington Historical Museum and The News-Reporter.

Most Revolutionary Days activities are free and the public is encouraged to attend. For further info call the Washington-Wilkes Chamber of Commerce at 706-678-2013.

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