Washington Mayor Willie Burns (front, left) reads a proclamation signed by himself and Wilkes County Commission Chairman Sam Moore (back, center) designating February 11 as “Kettle Creek Day.” “If you want to feel proud to be an American, come to the Kettle Creek Battlefield,” said George Thurmond, presicent of the Georgia Society Sons of the American Revolution. And the perfect opportunity will be during the “Revolutionary Days” celebration to be held Saturday, February 11, honoring the 227th anniversary of the Battle of Kettle Creek.

The February 14, 1779, battle was decisive in the war against the British, “For it was here that a small group of Georgia and South Carolina Militia took on a British unit twice their size and prevailed by sheer courage and determination. Their leaders, Andrew Pickens and Elijah Clarke, would go on to further glory, but John Dooly would pay with his life for his role in this battle.” Thurmond explained

The battle checked the British attack and subsequent domination of Georgia and was fought alongside Kettle Creek at a location about ten miles southwest of Washington. The celebration will take place in Washington and at the nearby Kettle Creek Battlefield.

The Kettle Creek monument will be the site of many activities on February 11. The highlight of the Revolutionary Days celebration will be the Battlefield Memorial and Wreath Presentation Ceremony, beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon. It is sponsored by the Georgia Society and Samuel Elbert Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution, along with support from the Kettle Creek Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. The ceremony will feature the 434th U.S. Army Signal Corps Band, Fort Gordon Ceremonial Detachment, Greene County High School Air Force JrROTC Honor Guard, and the Continental Regiment Fife and Drum. The keynote speaker will be a Texan, Nathan E. White Jr., who is the Secretary General of the National Society Sons of the American Revolution.

Dressed in Revolutionary War uniforms, the nationally-acclaimed Georgia Society SAR Color Guard and the Colonel Elijah Clarke Militia will lead the color guard, composed of SAR representatives from at least six other states. “We anticipate the attendees at the Battlefield Ceremony will exceed the over 500 people in attendance last year, including 65 who presented wreaths,” Thurmond said. Included will be many descendants of those who fought in the Battle of Kettle Creek.

The battlefield ceremony will be a “colorful and dignified” occasion to remember the sacrifices made by those patriots who fought so valiantly for freedom so many years ago. The public is invited to attend, especially descendants who are encouraged to present wreaths for their patriot ancestors. Both fresh flowers and artificial wreaths are acceptable.

Several “Revolutionary Days” activities have been planned by the sponsors who include the City of Washington, Mary Willis Library, Washington Historical Museum, Wilkes County, Washington-Wilkes Chamber of Commerce, and the Washington-Wilkes Historical Foundation, in addition to the Daughters and Sons of the American Revolution organizations.

Walt Andrae and Steve Rauch, U.S. Army historians will describe the Battle of Kettle Creek, including a half-hour video, at the Mary Willis Library in Washington at 9 a.m. They will lead guided walking tours of the battlefield at 11 a.m. and noon, departing from the Kettle Creek Battlefield Monument, located 11 miles west of Washington off Georgia Highway 44.

New ”Revolutionary Days” activities this year include a parade on Saturday starting at 10 a.m. at the library and ending on The Square. The parade will include the SAR Color Guard as well as costumed personalities including Elijah and Hannah Clarke, Martha and George Washington, and musical groups. After a brief Ceremony at the Wilkes County courthouse, parade participants will provide living history “exhibits” on The Square. “This activity should be great fun and provide entertainment for everyone,” according to Robert Turbyfill of the GSSAR..

Another new activity will be a “Kettle Creek for Children” discussion led by noted author Christine Swager at the Mary Willis Library, starting at 11 a.m. The nearby Washington Historical Museum will have an open house from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., also on Saturday, and will display exhibits in the Kettle Creek room. Chicken and pork barbecue will be available for $8.00 per plate, including dessert and drink, at the Kettle Creek Battlefield picnic area from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

General vehicle parking for the Battlefield will be on Courtground Road near its intersection with War Hill Road which leads to the battlefield. Shuttle vehicles will offer rides for the remaining eight-tenths of a mile on War Hill Road to the battlefield and return to the parking lot. Vehicles with handicapped tags may be parked at the bottom of War Hill and golf carts will be available for those needing assistance to the monument area. Bleachers, acquired by the Children of the American Revolution, will be erected by Wilkes County but visitors may wish to bring their own chairs. In the event of rain, the location for the parade, the living history exhibits, lunch, and the 2 p.m. memorial ceremony will be the McGill-Woodruff Ag Center, located on the North Bypass Highway 78 West toward Athens, next to Palmer Equipment Company.

For maps and directions to the battlefield, go to www.roots web.com/~gawilkes/ on the internet.

In adjoining Lincoln County near Lincolnton, the Elijah Clark State Park will sponsor a special program for Kettle Creek participants on Sunday, February 12.

Sons of the American Revolution Georgia Historic Sites Committee Chairman Bob Galer stated, “Kettle Creek was significant because, early in the Revolutionary War in the South, it demonstrated that several hundred patriots could challenge a larger British-sponsored Loyalist force in a pitched battle, and through superior strategy, tactics, intelligence, and organization for battle, defeat them. This carried great weight in the small colony of Georgia because most of the population was neutral or supported the British colonial rule.”