Old Friends, New Ideas: Joining Places, Joining Hands

At the end of January, I was honored to represent Sycamore Shoals as an observer-participant at the History Summit attended by representatives of all the State parks in South West Virginia and Kentucky, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park and others like the Daniel Boone Association and The Friends of the Boone Trace . it was a gathering of all those places that mark the journey of Daniel Boone and the opening up and expansion of the Trail from Sycamore Shoals where it first began with the signing of the Transylvania Purchase and the jumping off place of the first families to move past the Districts of the mountains of North Carolina, to Fort Boonesboro, where the population disseminated from there. It was an initial planning and meet and greet to get ready for the 250th Anniversary of the opening up the Trace
. As the staff was in in-service at that time in Nashville and Chad Bogart was literally the only one holding down the fort, I went in his place and my job was to be his eyes and ears (and mouth occassionally) throughout the whole thing .Altogether, it was a very eye-opening experience and while I was there, got to know better people I already was acquainted with and met some very nice new friends. I truly began to appreciate the importance of the work of Daniel Boone, the Wilderness Road, the Daniel Boone Trail and Trace and how these people hacked a Paradise in this wild place.

Joan Short, a volunteer at the Natural Tunnel State Park and now President of the Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail Asssociation , came to the Carter Mansion on Tuesday and asked if I wanted to come to their meeting held today. I said I would and sure enough, I did. It amazed me how much work they do in that area, educational and school programs, monthly talks and more , with the goal of telling the story of the Westward expansion of people from the Frontier to the Frontier over the Mountains into Kyn-tuck and points beyond. It drove home to me how our locations are inextricably linked as our stories overlap so closely.

With that in mind, over the next few days, I’m putting up the links to all of the parks along the Wilderness Road and the Daniel Boone Trail in a separate section along the right margin and I do hope you visit them frequently to see all the wonderful things each group is doing. You will be able to see how the stories interlink and how hard people are working to keep our heritage alive.

MAJOR BOGART SPEAKS: APRIL MUSTER AT CARTER MANSION, APRIL 11-12

Good Afternoon Washington Co.

Just wanted to remind everyone that the Carter Mansion Celebration is coming up on April 11-12. This is always a lovely event at a lovely place. I would really like to have a variety of activities going on. Please let me know if you would like to plan a demonstration, program, display, or presentation. Please let me know by the end of this month. As always we will have the skirmish at the Mansion so come prepared to fight. Also we will be having our special communion service during our Sunday morning worship time. There were so many positive comments from last year so we’ll definitely keep this as part of the regular activities at the Carter House event. Please let me know if you have any questions, comments or concerns.

Thank You,
Major Bogart

Trade Days Muster, FEBRUARY 14-15, 2015

That’s how the militia felt this past weekend.

February is always an iffy month in Tennessee; some days are wicked, some days are spring-like. This past weekend proved to be the former in spades. There have been winter weather warnings for a few days before the event. They called for temperatures in the thirties by day and 3 degrees with windchill factors into the minuses. Anybody else would have had second thoughts about holding a muster in these conditions but we’re the Militia, descended from tough and hardy stock, iron men and women. A little snow and cold never stopped us before as it didn’t stop the Overmountain Men marching across the Roan. There was also the knowledge that Earl Slagle, God bless him rich and deeply, had gone through every cabin, filling in every possible place that was open with chinking material. Those that planned to stay overnight knew that we’d be warmer than we ever were before and with a full shed of wood, a semblance of comfort was achievable.

On Friday, Tony DeVault, myself and Kim set up our spaces for a long stay. Kim had a diamond fly under the trees outside the fort and actually slept there on Friday night. I worried about him but this mountain man knows what he’s doing.( He was persuaded to sleep in the Talbot House on Saturday; thank God he listened.) He also set up his outdoor smoker as he was planning to smoke six deer hides on Saturday. The Bennetts set up the Talbot House but they were smarter than us and day tripped it both days. Saturday night, Ethan and Scott Walling came and opened the Tavern so all but one of the buildings inside the fort were occupied. Friday night was cold, the sky was fully blanketed by clouds, but there was a luminosity that comes with a full or nearly full moon. It was eerie but beautiful and it was a cozy time for us, sharing food and stories. Before I went to bed I made biscuits and bacon for the morning and slept reasonably well except for getting up every few hours to stoke the fire. I could hear Tony doing the same, as I heard him at the wood shed every now and then.

Saturday was cold and clear, a good day for indoor activities. Lisa, Rachael and Susanna spent the day cooking and sewing, Tony was in the man cave doing woodworking, I cooked Saturday and did a wool processing demo on Sunday and of course, there was Ken with his hides. Many members came for the day including Ken Markland, Mel McKay, ,Bucky Claubaugh, Ronnie and Linda Lail, Donna and Doug Ledbetter, Earl Slagle, who had hand surgery right after he made things comfy for us, and daughter , Sarah, David (Who came after work) and Matt Simerly to name a few. It was especially nice to see Col. Bob McCrosky. He braved an irate wife to come out for a while to cheer us all on. He’s just gotten over pneumonia and Margie had every right to worry but Bob did come and we so loved it. Chad roused the militia to march from time to time, banging on the window saying “I mean it” (Mel: ” Militias don’t drill” as he laughed out the door, wooden musket over his shoulder). In spite of the bitter cold, there was a surprising number of people who showed up and while the wind whipped, Chad and the men did put on a fine cannon display each afternoon. For myself, I especially loved having the class from Milligan College who came, partook of chocolate cake and hot mulled cider and stayed a while. The professor was a very nice man, a country boy from west Tennessee, and he and Mel and Ken enjoyed a long conversation. I loved being in the cabin all day cooking and Mel, Ken and Tony made it ever so nice staying and talking. There was a lot of laughing coming through the door to be sure.

It was wonderful seeing Col. MCCroskey. Made my DAY!!!

After everyone left, we combined our food and had a wonderful meal and then after all the clean up, the crazy ones resupplied themselves with wood for the night before we turned in. The acid test was going to be making it through the night, with blowing snow, and arctic temps. I made it really well through the night but began to notice that my nose was filling up. I ascribed it to the dry heat but around 2 :30, I woke with a raging headache and knew that stopped up nose signaled a head cold. DAMN!! Thinking about the frontier women, I figured I’d just “man on” as they say and do the best I could. everyone had speculated that we would have a very mean number of people on Sunday with all the advisories for them to stay indoors, but would you believe???? Shades of Field of Dreams- to paraphrase the famous quote “If you build it, he will come” to “if you’re crazy enough to be there, somebody crazier will come”. Sure enough, when Chad was conducting services in the Talbot House, here came two women, one cradling a hairless Chihuahua in a blanket. Throughout the day, people did come and enter the cabins to see what they could see, but when the coast was clear, most everyone but me went to the Talbot House for company. I didn’t want to share the wealth and kind of isolated myself so I wouldn’t share what no one wanted.At 3 PM, precisely, colors went down and by 3:10, I was on the road with my cabbage of a head to a nice warm shower and bed, Vicks on chest, box of tissue in hand.

You can say what you want about the Washington County Regiment of North Carolina Militia, but the one thing that you can say the most is that this is one dedicated group of people who cheerfully keep alive the heritage of the area no matter what. Herodotus must have been looking into the future when he said “….these are stayed neither by snow nor rain nor heat nor darkness from accomplishing their appointed course with all speed.”

—Herodotus, Histories (8.98) (trans. A.D. Godley, 1924)

This is a close as anyone could be taking pictures. it was just too dang cold!

Musings about Colonial Skills and Trade Days, February 14-15

The Tavern/Blockhouse: Beautiful but Freezing!

Colonial Skills & Trades: Militia Muster at Fort Watauga
Saturday, February 14 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Sunday, February 15 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Visit Fort Watauga and step into a colorful Revolutionary world. Reenactors portray a variety of characters, from hunters and farmers to land speculators and backcountry gentry. Walk among colonists and native people who share their pasts through talks, mini-dramas, and demonstrations of 18th century life.

Militia drill

When one goes to Fort Watauga as a volunteer, sometimes one can lose sight of the real drama that shaped our past in this part of the world. Speaking for myself, I get busy with staging one of the cabins which the rangers have generously allowed me to do and to stay in while I’m there (aka The Ramona Inn), figuring out what to have as a public demonstration, making sure things are as authentic as I can make them. I spend days figuring out what to make for meals for me and my friends, how to stay warm and every now and then, think how people must have lived in this spot two centuries ago. Jennifer , in her write-up about the next event , wrote about the kinds of people the public can expect to find in the fort, talking about their histories and demonstrating 18th century living skills. I ask myself periodically who these native people, farmers, back-country gentry really were and how the colonists, a group of very independent , self-reliant people, came together to form a prolific community which became cohesive then and still endures now. Every time I go to an event there, I review the history of the area and its people and this helps me to refocus on the two truly important things: the people who sacrificed their comfort, their sharing with family and in some cases, their very lives or that their children, and secondly, the ability to share this history with the people who come to visit in a way that is immediate and relavent. It was really the back country, the back of the beyond, claimed by a people a thousand years ago, in danger of losing their ancestral land, but still willing to trade and live with the new comers for the most part. It makes me wonder how natives and settlers coexisted and wonder about the feelings of those who sensed that their time on their ancestral ground would soon end. I find myself continually amazed by the strength or maybe the desperation of the settlers. It’s thought provoking that anyone, especially the women, could have survived here, must less thrived here, for long and it’s a testament to their ethnic character that they were able to hack out a living in this place. When the fort is very quiet and there aren’t a lot of people there, I stand outside listening to the night noises, look back into the cabin whose only light is a fire in the hearth, a candle and a lamp and wonder how anyone except the most hardy could have actually made it there. The area is manicured now and safety and convenience are nearby, but what did a woman see and hear then? It’s a thought I take with me when things get hectic during the day.

In reminding myself of what went on here in the past, I came across this EXCELLENT book excerpt, written clearly and succinctly . It’s definitely well worth the read.

http://www.electricscotland.com/history/articles/tennessee.htm

Fear In the Gut: MAY SEIGE, May 18-19, 2013

Native warrior assaulting the Fort.

It’s mid July, 1776, and the settlers in the area are uneasy. They hear from Isaac Thomas who was tipped off by Nancy Ward, the Wise Woman of the Cherokee, that three bands of Cherokee warriors are descending on them along the rivers systems. John Sevier is alarmed enough to abandon the fort in Limestone he is in the process of building and gathers civilians and a garrison of seventy-five fighters at Fort Watauga. They don’t know when or where the enraged Cherokee will hit but they know that it will horrible. Can you imagine what those people are thinking? The fear in the gut twists at every crack of a twig, rustle of leaves. Two hundred people or so are corraled inside the fort but it is while the women are doing the laundry and milking their cows outside the walls, that the experienced warrior, Old Abram, and hundreds of seasoned warriors suddenly attack .

On May 18 and 19, the Washington County Regiment hosted the annual reenactment of this pivotal clash, Native against settler, culture against culture with survival and territory as the ultimate aims. It was a massive event by our standards; each year it grows. The close proximity of the Martin’s Station event has its merits as many people, especially sutlers, just move to the park and set up in what I would consider a mini-vacation state of mind. I got there Thursday evening to stage cabin 4 and already there were a number of members and others already set up, fires blazing and music playing.This year there were as many reenactors or more, 200, participating in this event. The sutlers were set up in their own little village and they were so varied in their wares: Ft. Vause Outfitters, Pumpkintown Primitives, OTTERS, Gary Carrol, Trader Bob, Bruce Roberts, Paul DeRosier, Carolina Threads, Louise Hausman, Wiley House Shoppe, & Roy Carter and Friends. It was a great shopping experience. What was impressive this year was the native camp which was moved from the river (poison ivy abounding) to where the long hunter camp used to be under the pines.It was a terrific idea on many levels, especially where the public could actually see them in all their glory and really appreciate their talks about weaponry and the Cherokee history . The fellows had built hogans and it was really something to see these fierce warriors painted and living ala natural. There were camps all over the place of all the others, our welcome guests as well. Capt. John Moss and the SC Rangers were there to give their support, the British group was there and our friends from Virginia and the Cumberland all were among our numbers.

On Friday, the Mars people gave a wonderful demo of historic chocolate, its origins, ingredients, importance in the 18th century, how it’s made and of course, samples of their WONDERFUL American Heritage Chocolate. Throughout the weekend, they actually shucked and roasted the beans, ground the stuff, mixed the spices and kept pouring.

American Heritage Chocolate is ADDICTIVE! Once you taste it, you must have more (and I don’t even really like chocolate!)

The weather was kind of iffy on Saturday with rain in the morning and there was a real question as to whether the battle at 1 PM would actually be able to be held. It would be certainly nonplussing if every one of the participants would say “Boom” or “Bang” rather than have their muskets fire but God was good and the rains stopped, to be continued after hours! I never saw so many members and guests as there were at the raising of colors. The militia was massive. Bob McCroskey almost got his hundred man march to Guilford in this one! The Kids’ Militia was particularly good with all the children marching in perfect unison, wooden muskets held proudly. Throughout the day, we were BUSY with the public, demonstrating various folkways, explaining the history, priming their pumps so to speak. Those of us inside the fort were literally buried under people for two days.

CAPTURE!

The battle was at 1 PM and boy, oh boy, was it something to see, better than at any other time before. Sterling and Adam were on the roof of one of the cabins, men were crawling all over the wall, the Natives were painted and really scary to look at and hear, Sharile was playing Robinson dousing the hapless Native with scalding water, smoke and fire all over and well over 2000 spectators over two days to watch all this!

The auction was at 3 PM and there were hundreds of quality items . It took a couple of hours to do it; I’m sure Chad’s throat took a workout but in the end, we made $2400. Not bad at all! It was time to relax, gratefully and the BBQ was held in the auditorium this time as the Museum is now redone. On that note, the Governor was supposed to open up the new Museum on Friday but because of speaker glitches, this was postponed to a later date. Man, was I ready though! I took off from work just to see him, had on a pretty raggedy LIBERTY shirt, my grubby petticoats and apron.The graphic arts teacher at school made me six, yes you read it right, six lapel signs in 18th century script saying ” 18th century indentured:21st century teacher”. “Hi-Ya, Mr. governor, how are ya’?” The principal at school even promised to bail me out of jail if I ended up there. Anyway, after the BBQ we were allowed to go into the Museum, look at everything, see the video. It’s a real gem, I have to say; one of the best small museums I’ve seen. As the night deepened, everyone went back to their camps and one could hear mandolin, pipes, fiddle and laughter. It was such a homey, wonderful set of sounds.

It rained again on Sunday morning before dawn but my the time the sun was up, everyone could tell it would be a nice, if hot, day.Harry Jordan led the morning worship and his sermon, from the heart, was very uplifting and set the tome for the rest of the day.

Harry Jordan leading the Sunday worship

After the service, the ladies put out a refreshing high tea for all the reenactors. Of course, the battle was repeated, better than even Saturday with the addition of the hapless Samuel Woods played by Sterling Curde, burned at the stake outside of the fort. One thing I really paid attention to was the public attendance. There were a lot of other things going on that weekend, festivals in Unicoi and activities in Johnson City , but tons of people took the time to come out and watch the drama unfolding of the May Seige. It was the highest attendance we ever had and they were appreciative, respectful and asked wonderful questions.

Time passes so fast at this event. It seems like it takes forever to come and just whizzes by to its conclusion. One feels the whole gamut of emotions from gut wrenching fear, to the joys and laughter of being together, old friends and new. May Seige 2013 was a resounding success!

May Seige 2013. Thank you doug Welsh and Retha Reece for the pictures.

MAJOR BOGART SPEAKS: SEIGE IS A-COMING!

Huzzah!

To the Washington Co. Militia,

ITS ALMOST HERE!!!!! The Siege of Fort Watauga is just around the corner. I need to know a few things from you all to help in the planning process.

1. Are you coming?

2. Do you plan to eat supper on Saturday Night? I need numbers so I can plan with the caterer.

3. What do you plan to do in the way of demonstrations, and do you want to be on the schedule.

4. WE NEED AUCTION ITEMS. Please bring them by the park and leave them in my office.

That’s it. Short and Sweet. Looking forward to a great time.

As always contact me if you have any questions, concerns, or comments.

Take Care – Major Bogart

Chad A. Bogart

Historic Interpreter

Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area

1651 W. Elk Ave.

Elizabethton, TN 37643

423-543-5808 ext. 107

TDEC image

Looking Back: Harvest Celebration Nov. 17-18, Christmas at Carter Mansion Dec. 7-8

The Four Stooges

As we celebrate the end of Advent and move into the Christmas season, I’m reminded of all the wonderful things the Regiment has done this year. We tramped around at Guilford, had a lazy weekend at Carter Mansion in the spring, battled and burned at May Seige, sweated our brains out at the July 4th muster, represented ourselves well at places like Cowpens, Walnut Grove (as you can see <—–) and other wonderful events. The nice thing about all this is how the season ends and that’s with the Harvest Celebration and the jollification at Carter Mansion.

The Harvest celebration was on Nov. 17 and 18th. It was a terrific weekend filled with activity. After colors were raised on Saturday, the fort was a beehive of activity. Doug and Donna Ledbetter, Tony Devault, Lisa, Chenoa and Rachael Bennett were cooking as was I. Chad was demonstrating winter preparation of food and Bucky Simerly  and Matt were making apple butter all day long.  The tavern was ably manned by George Federer and Kim was working on his latest skin. Even the native contingent was there in full force.

The men worked up a heck of an appetite during the drill and one has to admit they looked pretty sharp as they looked like one as they moved. Finally at around 1 PM, the Colonel read a proclamation by North Carolina Richard Caswell declaring a day of thanksgiving after the victory at Saratoga and the tables groaned with food.  Have you ever seen so much food in one place that you lost your appetite? That’s what usually happens to me and it looked so good and smelled so excellent, I couldn’t eat for a while but this didn’t stop any of the rest of the members, I have to say. I really thought there would be a ton of leftovers but such was not the case. By mid afternoon , it was all gone and the order of the afternoon was nothing more than total relaxation.  The was a lot of people passing though the fort all day long; Chad estimated that there was upward of 700 plus and I think that was conservative. Jane Doan and I were sitting outside of cabin 4 and Jane was cradling her grandson who was fast asleep under a blanket. A lady looked over and asked whether the baby Jane was holding was a real baby or a fake colonial baby. It was TOUGH keeping a straight face but Jane said it was her grandson. I felt like saying that the baby was real but Jane was a fake Colonial grandmother but fortunately my mouth didn’t overreach my brain, not this time anyway.  Later, after the public left , Chad gave us a guided tour of the new soon-to-be-completed museum at the visitors center. It’s a marvel how the museum is coming together and how real the Sycamore trees and the fort walls look. It will be a beautiful museum when it is completed. After the tour, everyone gathered to watch Nicholas Nickelby and then gathered at the tavern. You could hear the laughter all over the place.

Sunday was another beautiful, warm day, a repeat of Saturday minus the food. David Doan led the Sunday service and his message was wonderful. Besides the membership just kicking back , enjoying each other, the ladies had high tea. Desserts appeared from out of nowhere and Jennifer donated some of the Mars Heritage chocolate that is being sold in the gift shop. I have to say I am not a fan of chocolate but this———— oh my GOODNESS! I made 10 cups and it was gone in no time. Altogether, this was one of the easiest and most enjoyable Harvest Celebrations we’ve had and everyone was loath to leave.

CLOAKED IN ELEGANCE

The Christmas season opened with the lighting of the Christmas tree in Elizabethton the week before Christmas at Carter Mansion and the “North Carolina musketeers” made a joyful noise (eventually after the choir did their thing, the master of ceremonies thanked everyone over and over again) and made a pretty good showing. Christmas at Carter Mansion was on the evenings of Dec. 7 and 8th and rounded out the 2012 season for the Regiment. It’s a different feel to be sure. The mansion was cloaked in elegance as Mr. and Mrs. Carter (Chad Bogart and Linda Ricker) welcomed their guests. This year, the membership was arranged in various places as greeters and it worked out very well. Members made hot cider and served the guests near the visitor’s center, John Large manned the bonfire were people could enjoy a good blaze. Ronnie and Chris   talked about the victory at Kings Mountain and the Cherokee uprising, Susannah Kulikowski and the Bennett ladies were in the parlor making pomanders, Tony Devault greeted the public in Carter’s office, Mary Jane Kennedy told stories in the children’s room and Jenny Kilgore was in the landing doing pencil drawings. I was in the Carter bedroom at the walking wheel talking about the house architecture and 18th century Christmas traditions (such as they were) in the frontier. Everyone looked so lovely in their holiday best! Kathryn Grist,   Retha and Ken Reece looked like they could have just come from Colonial Williamsburg to visit.  Bucky and Matt, Ronnie, Mike Mankin, Randy Curde , Sterling and Adam made joyful noises reminiscent of the guns going off in colonial times .Guests were treated to music and a Virginia reel outside of the Mansion.  I think that the Carters would have definitely approved of the nights’ proceedings and one could almost sense the house was smiling.

Chenoa in her party dress and Rachael

 

SMOKIN’

Linda and Jason reeling

Death, Fire and Destruction? Not A Chance! MAY SEIGE 2012: May 19 and 20

Cherokee and Militia having at it!

Life in the no-man’s land in the mountains of what was then North Carolina was not easy. Sometime in July of 1776, the Cherokee got restless. They weren’t too happy with the general situation anyway being as the year before, the settlers of the new frontier , siding against the British and forming the Washington District, forged an alliance with Chief Attacullaculla and many Cherokee thought the settlers asked too much.  Dragging Canoe, Old Abram, Chief Raven and others who had formed an alliance with the British  received a considerable cache of arms to solidify the pact and their blood was boiling. The strong young-bloods sent word that the settlers had 20 days to vacate the land and move back to the line demarcated in the Treaty of Fort Stanwix in 1768 or they would be massacred. One can only guess what the settlers must have said! The Watauga settlers, anticipating an all -out attack , purchased arms and ammunition, food and supplies and hunkered down for an eventual fight. In early July, Nancy Ward, the Beloved Woman of the Cherokee , tipped off trader Isaac Thomas, who then told John Sevier who was then building a fortification near Limestone, TN. News traveled fast and before you know it, most everybody  including Sevier , started piling into then Fort Caswell, now Fort Watauga. The invasion began in earnest in mid July. Some Cherokee contingents went north, but Dragging Canoe and Old Abrams with their 1200 went south on the march to Fort Caswell. Somewhere between 150 and 220 settlers were crammed inside the newly palisaded fort. The garrison consisted of around 75 men, led by Commissioner of Safety John Carter, ably assisted by James Robertson and John Sevier. On the day of the attack, the women were outside milking cows and all hell broke loose. During the initial attack which lasted about three hours, shots  rained  in and out and several Cherokee were able to get close enough to try to set fire to it. The women with the bucket brigade (it being a washing day) managed to keep the natives at bay when Ann Robertson (wounded three times) poured scalding wash water on them.It was obvious that the Cherokee couldn’t take the fort so they mounted a long seige. One unfortunate teen , Tom Moore, was captured and eventually burned to death. Lydia Bean was also captured but Nancy Ward exerted pressure to have her spared. After two weeks, the seige was lifted and the settlers breathed more easily.

All this was recreated this past weekend in the May Seige at historic Fort Watauga. It’s one that Randy Curde, our “press attache”, father of Sterling and man what’s in charge of pranks and frolic, announces almost from the time it’s over to the day of the event the next year on every social media site he can enter. The Washington County Regiment gears up for months to make this event the best each year, and this year may have well been the best yet.

Garrison marching

The weather was all that one could ask for and there was no rain, an exception to the rule for this time of year. School Day for the children was on Friday and hundreds of children, ranging from Kindergarten though Middle School ages, toured the stations which included spinning and processing wool, rope making, flax processing to make linen, period weaponry, 18th century children’s games (always popular) clothing and food preparation.  While this was going, a steady stream of reenactors and vendors set up in the field below the fort. The original garrison was 75 men, but there was triple that number this weekend. The line of militia seemed never ending. I pegged the number of participants to be somewhere in the vicinity of 300. It’s hard to know how many of the public wended their ways through the park and fort but four digits over two day’s time  would not be an impossibility.The Brits were in the grove, as usual, the settlers were in the broiling sun and inside the fort, as usual, the natives in the native camp near the river with the poison ivy, as usual, and the longhunters  had it made in the pine grove.

Saturday was electric and everywhere you cared to look was buzzing with activity. The sutler row this year was spectacular with many of them staying over from Martin’s Station last weekend. Old friends were catching up with the news from old friends and new friends were being made. Living history demos occurred everywhere, all with appreciative and respectful audiences.There was a lengthy but not boring militia meeting where the participants in the battles were briefed about the scenarios and positions over the two day’s time. On Saturday, the section of the seige which included the Bonnie Kate’s pole vault over the wall and the bucket brigade was reenacted. On Sunday, the battle included the capture and burning of Tom Moore (Sterling Curde) out in the flax patch . At 1 PM, rather than participate, I was in the audience. I wanted to see the battle unfold and boy, oh boy, was I so proud. The considerable crowd assembled outside the walls of the fort, the reenactors took their positions. Before you could say “Holy SNAP”, all heck broke loose. The Natives whooped and hollered, the men yelled, the women  screamed, bandages were rolling, the native women, trilling, dragged the dead and dying to the trees, the cannon and muskets boomed and belched smoke and thunder and one’s head ping-ponging from side to side, catching all the action- better than any football game five seconds to the whistle, the game tied and the last snap in play! It was all so realistic that it was almost scary. I heard some of the kids actually got scared when they heard all the muskets going off- better than a horror flick – but for my money, maybe it brought home to the audience just how serious and life threatening the situation was for their ancestors those many years ago . It may make the young appreciate all the more what a good life those who came earlier purchased for them through their apprehensive agonies and the terrible prices they paid. After  the battle, the public milled in and around the fort asking questions, complimenting all who participated and stayed to watch the auction fundraiser. That was a lot of fun and the bidding was fast and furious.

Saturday’s doings ended at 5 PM for the public, but the event really started for the reenactors. you could see everyone totally relaxed. Some rolled cartridges for the next day, others cleaned their weapons, others yet relived the excitement of the day’s events. At 6 PM, everyone assembled in the Visitor’s Center for a wonderful bar-b-que , campanionship and birthday fete for Chad Bogart and Ken Reece. Jollification in earnest started later with a concert given by the fife and drum corp in the ampitheater . Later, as everyone assembled in their camps, you could hear fiddling, singing and laughter echo all over until the wee hours.

Sunday was a duplicate of Saturday with even better weather. In the morning, after colors,  Harry Jordan conducted the frontier service. I have to say it was one of the most beautiful sermons, from the heart, about being thankful. After the service and before the fight, the Regiment women hosted ( or is that hostessed) a Ladies Tea for the women of the district, with the fellows licking up the crumbs later. The battle ensued, the audiences cheered, the tales were told and the party was over. You look forward all year with anticipation , just like Christmas, and in a blip of a flash, all done. It was the best May Seige yet and I’m looking foward already to the one next year.

Thanks to Chad Bogart, Jason, Jennifer, Earl and the park  staff  for creating a great infrastructure for this event to go as seamlessly as it does,  and to each and every member who made this so totally monumental! Also thanks to Retha Reece, Melanie and Sharli, Tim Massey for wonderful photos. In the next few days, I’ll be posting a collection of their pictures on webshots under MAY SEIGE 2012. Watch for them.

Take THAT, you curs!

Native Contingent

Ladies’ Tea

Harry seeking inspiration before the Sunday service

Too Close for Comfort

Kim Palmer and harry Jordan swapping tales in the Longhunter’s camp

Carter Mansion Muster Schedule: Aug. 6-7

Carter Mansion

Carter
Mansion Celebration

Saturday, August 6

Sunday, August 7

Travel back to the 1780s… The
American colonies have declared Independence, but the outcome of this bitter struggle is still in question.  Hardy  frontiersmen have crossed the mountains in defiance of British law and have carved out homes in the wilderness. Conflict is rising between American Patriots, Loyalists who support the
Crown, and native Indians who struggle to retain their way of life.  But the people of this time still find cause for celebration, merriment, music, and the arts; so come out and see it all come together at the oldest frame house in Tennessee.

 

The Washington County Regiment of North Carolina Militia will be celebrating its two-year anniversary during this
exciting celebration!  The Militia will be encamped on the grounds of the Carter Mansion and will present
demonstrations of the daily lives of 18^th century backwoods settlers. As part of the activities a re-enactment of a small battle between patriots and tories will be presented each day.

 

Local craftsmen and artisans will include Sherri Hyder and Mary Proffit, as they demonstrate 18^th century basket making. James Garland will showcase gourd instruments and artwork. Bob Estep will demonstrate primitive flint knapping. Jennifer Bauer
will show the art of natural dyeing. Sarah Redding will be making corn shuck dolls, and Chris Taylor will exhibit the centuries old art of flax processing.

 

Other activities throughout the weekend will include Tours of the Carter Mansion: Tennessee’s oldest frame house, Militia Drill, Musket and Rifle demonstrations, 18^th Century Surveying, Traditional and Old Time Music, Storytelling, Colonial Military
Music by the Watauga Valley Fifes and Drums, and much more. Come join us for a weekend of History, Entertainment, and Family Fun!

S A T U R D A Y,   A U G U S T   6^th  

10:00 – Militia Inspection – Posting the
Colours followed by a grave decoration and mourning of arms to honor the Carter
Family.

 

10:30 – Flax Processing – Join Mr. Taylor for
a look at the fascinating procedure of turning the flax plant into linen cloth.

 

11:00 – Carter Mansion Tour – Take advantage
of this guided tour of Tennessee’s oldest frame house and witness frontier
elegance first hand. Hear about the Carter family and their many contributions
to the history of our community, state, and nation.

 

11:30 – “A Link to the Past” 18^th Century
Surveying – Join Chad and Sarah for a look at the art of measuring land
in Colonial America.

 

12:00 – “Echoes of Independence” – The Watauga
Valley Fifes & Drums perform tunes from the American Revolution!

 

1:00 – “Skirmish at the Mansion” – It was the
summer of 1781, John Carter and John Sevier, who had access to the settlement’s
deed books, confiscated the lands of all Loyalists living nearby. When these
Tories learned of this, they plotted to kill Carter and Sevier; take the deed
books; and restore their lands. The wife of one of the conspirators, however,
was friendly with John Sevier and warned him of his danger.  John Carter fled and took the true books with
him, leaving fake copies in his office. He died of smallpox soon afterward;
taking the location of this treasure to his grave…We will interpret this
sequence of events as a skirmish at the home of John Carter. It is unknown
whether or not shots were actually fired in this event, but we hope the public
will truly enjoy this exciting reenactment.

 

2:00 – Carter Mansion Tour

 

2:30 – Flax Processing – Join Mr.
Taylor for a look at the fascinating procedure of turning the flax plant into
linen cloth.

 

3:00 – Traditional & Old Time Tunes –  Award winning musicians James H. Garland &
Chad Bogart perform a delightful set of time honored melodies on hand crafted
instruments.

 

3:30 – Corn Shuck Dolls – Join Sarah and learn
about this age old craft while making your very own corn shuck doll.

 

4:00 – Carter Mansion Tour

 

4:30 – Retiring the Colours – The
militia closes the day’s activities by retiring the flag. Camps close to the
public. Join us tomorrow for another day of living history, entertainment, and
family fun.

 

S U N D A Y,   AU G U S T   7^th

 

10:00 – Militia Inspection – The Militia kicks
of the days activities by Posting the Colours.

 

11:00 – Worship Service  All are welcome to join us for Sunday
Service on the grounds of the Beautiful Carter Mansion.

 

11:30 – Flax Processing – Join Mr. Taylor for
a look at the fascinating procedure of turning the flax plant into linen cloth.

 

12:00 – Carter Mansion Tour – Take advantage
of this guided tour of Tennessee’s oldest frame house and witness frontier
elegance first hand. Hear about the Carter family and their many contributions
to the history of our community, state, and nation.

 

1:00 – “Skirmish at the Mansion” – It was the
summer of 1781, John Carter and John Sevier, who had access to the settlement’s
deed books, confiscated the lands of all Loyalists living nearby. When these
Tories learned of this, they plotted to kill Carter and Sevier; take the deed
books; and restore their lands. The wife of one of the conspirators, however,
was friendly with John Sevier and warned him of his danger.  John Carter fled and took the true books with him, leaving fake copies in his office. He died of smallpox soon afterward; taking the location of this treasure to his grave… We will interpret this sequence of events as a skirmish at the home of John Carter. It is unknown whether or not shots were actually fired in this event, but we hope the public will truly enjoy this exciting reenactment.

 

1:30 – “Ladies’ Liberty Tea” – Join the ladies
of the settlement for some light refreshments and answer the question, “What is
Liberty Tea”? Who knows, they might even let the gentlemen join in as well!

 

2:00 – Carter Mansion Tour – Take advantage of
this guided tour of Tennessee’s oldest frame house and witness frontier
elegance first hand. Hear about the Carter family and their many contributions
to the history of our community, state, and nation.

 

3:00 – Camps Close to the Public – Thank you
for joining us at the Carter Mansion.

 

Coca-Cola Massive Grant: Vote and Tell Your Friends!

Dear Friends,

Coca Cola is giving a $100,000 grant to the park with the
most votes!   Please go to

http://www.livepositively.com/#/americasparks/vote

and vote for Sycamore
Shoals State Historic Area!

The #1 park at the moment has over 300,000
votes so there is much work to do!  Please share this link with friends, on
Facebook, or anywhere else you’d like and thank you for your
support!

When you come to the home page, scroll down to the bottom left
and you will see a link to “Vote for Your Park”.  Click on it and a map will
come up.  Search for Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area, then click on the
balloon on the map; this will allow you to vote.

You can vote over and
over again and even register so you can vote from your cell phone when you are
visiting the park!

Thank you for sharing this information and for your
votes!

Sincerely,

Jennifer

MOLLYNOTE: Right now we’re ranked 333- way down the list- come on, guys, let’s snag some of this action!