Solemn observances at Kettle Creek Battlefield commemorate the sacrifices of Revolutionary War patriots. Although the Revolutionary Days celebration next weekend will include a parade, living history experiences, and a battle skirmish, the heart and soul of the weekend will be three solemn observances to commemorate the sacrifices of the Revolutionary War patriots, organizers say.

Saturday’s highlight will be the pageantry during the Battleground Memorial Ceremony, starting at 2 p.m. at the War Hill Monument. Patriotic music, wreath presentations, and musket volleys will honor the memory of the Patriots. “Come and help us remember our Patriot ancestors and their sacrifices, and feel proud to be an American,” said Bobby Towns, past Georgia Society SAR president and coordinator of the Memorial Ceremony.

For the third year, a Colonial worship service, led by the Georgia Society SAR Chaplaincy Corps, will be conducted during the Revolutionary Days observance. Hosted by the First Baptist Church in Washington, many attendees will worship in Colonial attire. The brief service starts at 9 a.m. to allow everyone to participate without interfering with their own local worship services.

Georgia Society SAR Chaplain Dan Gates said, “We are a nation founded on faith in God. In commemorating the events of Kettle Creek, it is fitting that we gather like the people of Wilkes County did on the Sunday after the battle in 1779 to pray and remember the fallen. On February 14, we will do the same in their memory.”

In addition to the Revolutionary Days activities in Washington, the Elijah Clark State Park near Lincolnton will be the site of a Memorial Service on Sunday, February 14, at 11 a.m. The ceremony, conducted at the gravesites of Elijah and Hannah Clarke, honors the memory of Elijah Clarke, John Dooly, and other “Heroes of the Hornet’s Nest.”

After the Battle of Kettle Creek, the Wilkes County Militia continued the fight for Independence in northeast Georgia and the western Carolinas. Elijah Clark State Park encompasses the homestead where John Dooly lived with his wife and children and where in 1780, he was killed by vengeful Loyalists. The park is one of the eight sites on Georgia’s Revolutionary War Trail.

Sponsors of the Ceremony at Elijah Clark State Park include the Georgia Society Sons of the American Revolution, Elijah Clark State Park, Washington-Wilkes SAR Chapter and Elijah Clarke DAR Chapter in Athens.