A Step Back in Time 
By Scott Kirkwood
Think of the Revolutionary War and you envision Paul Revere riding through the streets of Boston, soldiers wintering at Valley Forge, or Washington crossing the Delaware—memorable events captured in wellknown paintings and history books. But few of us recall the numerous battles that unfolded in southern states like Virginia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas. And that means historical sites like the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail are often overshadowed, overlooked, and overgrown.
In 1780, the American Revolutionary War entered its sixth year and the momentum of the British troops had stalled in the northern states, so the redcoats turned their attention to the South. British generals planned to capture seaports along the Atlantic Coast, then proceed north through South Carolina, bringing with them hundreds of loyalists—Americans who were still faithful to the King of England. But things didn’t quite turn out that way.
Once American patriots got wind of the idea, they joined in great numbers to fight off the British advance. Two hundred men gathered at Craig’s Meadow near Abingdon, Virginia, then headed south, meeting up with more volunteers as they passed through each state. Hundreds of men left their farms and families behind, climbed on horseback, and made their way through the difficult terrain, encountering early snowfall in the Tennessee mountains. When they finally arrived in South Carolina, they’d amassed a force of 1,800. Of these, the 900 best marksmen and the fastest horses then made their way to Kings Mountain, where they destroyed a force of 1,000 British soldiers.
“Many people don’t realize the first four years of the American Revolution were primarily fought in the North, and the last two years were primarily in the South,” says Paul Carson, superintendent of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail. “Both areas of war were just as important: If the British had won down here and then been able to employ their strategy as they had hoped, we may not be the country that we are today.”
Kings Mountain National Military Park, the site of the actual battle, was established in 1931, but the trail itself is just celebrating its 25th anniversary this fall. When Americans’ interest in the Revolutionary War came to a head with the bicentennial in 1976, a group of people decided the historic journey should be recognized in some way, so they organized a commemorative march along the route. That group, which would later become the Overmountain Victory Trail Association (OVTA), played a key role in the trail’s establishment. In early years of the march, men rode horseback or walked the more than 300 miles in two weeks, staying as close to the perceived trail as possible, sometimes courting danger by walking along highways. Today the reenactors try to remain true to the spirit of the march, but they’ll often drive from point to point and camp for the night, entertaining crowds that gather along the way.
“Some people truly enjoy getting into the whole spirit of what things were like back in 1780—the way small communities banded together and used their own wits to survive,” says Bob Hardin, OVTA board members. “The older you get, the more you start enjoying history and thinking about personal connections with your ancestors. If you’re walking this trail, you’re doing more than hiking—you’re retracing the footsteps of those Revolutionary War patriots.”
Along the way, reenactors stop in the same small towns on the same dates as their forebears, reaching out to tell the story to those in local communities. Many community organizations like the Daughters of the American Revolution are kind enough to feed the marchers along the route and tell audiences about women’s role in that day and age. Last year, several hundred Boy Scouts met the reenactors at Sycamore Shoals and responded to the men and women in period costume with far greater interest than most would ever greet a dusty textbook.
Although most park trails stretch from point A to point B, this trail reflects the fact that history isn’t always quite so tidy. Its 330 miles cover diverse parts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, reflecting the journeys of hundreds of men coming from different locales to corner the British, whose location was a mystery.
Maintenance and ownership of the trail is unique as well. In the 200 years between the pivotal battle and the trail’s designation, dozens of interests claimed ownership rights to hundreds of miles. The Park Service wasn’t interested in taking over every sliver of land owned by individuals, states, counties, and nonprofits, so instead, it simply certifies the land as part of the trail, maintaining it with the help of its partners, including a mountainbike club, the Forest Service, and several state parks. Today, slightly more than 50 miles of the 330mile route are officially designated as part of the trail, but the Park Service is filling in that dotted line a few miles at a time.
Scott Kirkwood is senior editor for National Parks magazine. |
