On a September day 236 years ago, a group of men left their homes and families on the frontier and began a long and uncertain march. If they were victorious it would lead to freedom and the birth of a new nation. If not, it would mean death for them and subjugation for the families they left behind.
But these brave patriots felt it was their duty to defend home and land in the face of threats from the British, so the Overmountain Men marched from Sycamore Shoals to Kings Mountain, S.C., and ultimately to victory.
Next weekend, the Society of the Sons of the American Revolution will honor the Overmountain Men and other patriots in the American Revolution with a special memorial ceremony and wreath laying.
“Once a year, close to the date of the muster of the Overmountain Men, the Sons of the American Revolution come to Sycamore Shoals to honor their ancestors,” said Jennifer Bauer, Park Manager of Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park. “Different descendants of various patriots come forward and lay a wreath in honor of their ancestors who might have mustered here, or fought at Kings Mountain or elsewhere.”
This year’s Gathering at Sycamore Shoals will be held on Saturday, Sept. 17, beginning at 10 a.m. and lasting until around Noon.
Joining the SSAR in the memorial service will be members of the Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution as well as members of the Children of the American Revolution.
During the ceremony, there will be a presentation on the story of the Overmountain Men as well as various tributes to the patriots who gathered here.
“It is really a wonderful event,” Bauer said. “It is inspirational to see people not only honoring their ancestry but continuing to share these stories of their important contributions to American independence.”
Last year, the Gathering at Sycamore Shoals was attended by SSAR, SDAR and CAR representatives from six different states as well as representatives from the national organizations.

The following weekend after this year’s Gathering, Sycamore Shoals will host their Overmountain Victory Trail Celebration which will include a re-enactment of the crossing of the Watauga River on Sunday, Sept. 25, the 235th anniversary of the historic muster.
“We will have two days of education programs and events that weekend,” Bauer said.
The Overmountain Victory Trail Celebration will be held on Saturday, Sept. 24 and Sunday, Sept. 25. Programs will begin at 10 a.m. each day and will last until 4 p.m. on Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sunday. The river crossing will take place at around 2 p.m.
“Immediately after the crossing we will have a presentation of the story of the Overmountain men by Steve Ricker,” Bauer said. Ricker serves as the director of interpretive programs for the Overmountain Victory Trail Association.
The weekend of activities will include a militia encampment along with a variety of other programs, talks and demonstrations.
All of the events are designed to pay tribute to the men and women who lived in region during the revolution and to showcase the events that happened in the fall of 1780 as the Overmountain Men gathered at Sycamore Shoals.
Over the years, many historians have pointed to the victory at Kings Mountain as a major turning point in the American Revolution.
George Washington, Commander-In-Chief of the Continental Army and first President of the United States, described the victory at Kings Mountain as “an important object gained and a proof of the spirit and resources of this country.”
Fellow founding father Thomas Jefferson also offered the following opinion on the battle: “Kings Mountain was the joyful annunciation of that turn of the tide of success which terminated the Revolutionary War with the seal of our independence.”
After patriot forces defeated British Maj. Patrick Ferguson at Kings Mountain, British General Lord Charles Cornwallis had to halt his advance into North Carolina and withdraw his troops deeper into South Carolina.
Following their success at Kings Mountain, the patriots enjoyed a string of victories against British forces at the Battle of Cowpens and then at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse and ultimately at the Battle of Yorktown, which led to the end of the war.
For more information on the Gathering at Sycamore Shoals or the Overmountain Victory Trail Celebration, contact Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park at 423-543-5808.