Joe Harris, Keith Murphy, and Jim Burton worked to clear an area around the Kettle Creek battle site last Saturday morning. With a section of underbrush cleared around the hill of the Kettle Creek battle site, a local volunteer team gave the new growth of vegetation a Roundup weed treatment for a continued park-like appearance.

Jim Burton, Joe Harris, and Keith Murphy, with the approval of County Commission Chairman Sam Moore, sprayed about an acre of new vine, weed, and sapling shoots early June 27.

"The big problem is with the vines," Harris said, "with poison oak, wild grape, and Virginia creeper it is difficult to walk in the area. Also, many visitors to the area, as with the BRAG guests, ask 'Where is the creek?' And they want to know the location of the troops. This is all difficult to locate and visualize with a heavy growth of underbrush - and the disappointment of the visitors is clear."

Burton commented that it was great help to have part of the battle site previously cleared for the archeological work. "It is not too difficult to keep it open," he said. "I'd like to come back in a couple of weeks and take another look at what we have accomplished."

Murphy, who works for the Georgia Forestry Commission and lives in Wilkes County, said, "Roundup is very good for this kind of vegetation control, being rapidly degraded. Similar control methods are widely used in forestry; there are many applications. Our state parks are often cleared of underbrush this way, to allow for greater enjoyment. I am glad to help with this kind of project, I even borrowed a backpack sprayer from a friend."

On finding a tree species which could not be readily identified, Harris thought the site could easily be made attractive for botanists and other students, as well as for historians and the average tourist. The whole team agreed that early morning was the best time for treatment - especially on 100-degree days.