25 Overmountain members celebrate 50th anniversary of Watauga River Crossing

ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. (WJHL)—On Wednesday, 25 Overmountain Victory Trail Association (OVTA) members reenacted the Watauga River Crossing, a march from 244 years ago. The OVTA has reenacted the event for 50 years.

Just as the Overmountain Militia crossed the Watauga River at Sycamore Shoals, members from the OVTA reenacted the historic march to King’s Mountain. Sycamore Shoals celebrates the more than 400 men who crossed from Virginia to South Carolina in response to a threat to destroy their homes.

“So today is September 25. And this is the actual day that, in 1780, the Mountain Man crossed the Watauga River,” said Chad Bogart, museum curatorial assistant. “These would have been the militia from Southwest Virginia joining up with the North Carolina militia here at Sycamore Shield. They had put together this frontier army to go over the mountains and fight against the British loyalists under the command of Patrick Ferguson.”

According to an OVTA release, the community and history enthusiasts were invited to Fort Watauga to learn about the campaign to King’s Mountain and the “patriot history that turned the tide of the American Revolution. “

“So this is an event that’s been going on for 50 years,” said Bogart. “This is the 50th year of the crossing. And they just kind of become a celebration for the community each and every year. They have people that come out every year to watch this. And we have a lot of new people moving into the area. And so, learning this history is very important. You know, a lot of people don’t realize that Tennessee has so much Revolutionary War era history, being so far removed from the colonies. But that’s just another part of the story that we love to tell. So it’s just great to see the community get involved.”

To learn more about the OVTA, visit its website .

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