The Brier Creek Chapter, Georgia Society Sons of the American Revolution held its monthly meeting on Thursday, February 3, at 7 p.m. at the American Legion in Sylvania. With President Wayne Howard presiding, there were 12 members in attendance. President Howard opened the meeting with the pledge to the U.S. flag and then the pledge to the Sons of the American Revolution. Then, Bernard Martin said prayer. President Howard then asked Compatriot Dess Smith III to report on the upcoming 243rd Anniversary Celebration of the Battle at Brier Creek.
Smith reported that there will be three different events, as in the last six years. The first event will be the Education Day program that will be held on Friday, March 4, beginning with the first session at 9 a.m. at the battlefield site. Other sessions that day will be at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Each session will have four stations rotating at about 15 minutes for each station. At the end of each session, there will be a 10 minute re-enactment between the British and American forces. Hopefully, students from different schools in the area will schedule times with the Smith, coordinator, to attend the event. Interested parties should call 478-299-1039 for scheduling and inquiries.
The second event will be the Third Annual Brier Creek Revolutionary War Battlefield Association, Inc's Banquet at the First United Methodist Church beginning at 6:30 p.m. The event will host Jason West as this year’s banquet speaker, who will present his Button Gwinnett impersonation. Reservations are required and must be made by February 21. Contact Smith at the number listed above for further details.
The third event will be the 243rd Anniversary Celebration of the Battle at Brier Creek. This will be held on Saturday, March 5, at 11 a.m. on the battlefield. This year’s speaker will be Charles B. Baxley, publisher of and co-founder of the Southern Campaigns of the American Revolution. Baxley was also the tour guide for the Francis Marion's War in South Carolina. He also was the organizer of the Southern Campaigns Revolutionary War Roundtable and Corps of Discovery held on February 20, 2016 at Ebenezer.
President Howard then introduced Compatriot Steve Burke and his assistant, Bernard Martin. Burke’s program was on the Sharpshooter's Shooter. He began by telling chapter members all about the period rifles that he brought for demonstration. The Matchlock 50 cal. musket (1600's), which had a burning piece of rope that would fall onto the powder when the trigger was pulled. The flintlock eventually replaced it. The flintlock (1700's) had a much better ignition system, and they came in rifled 50 Cal. barrels, 69 Cal. and 75 Cal. smooth bore muskets that could mount a bayonet for hand-to-hand fighting. In 1842, the percussion cap was invented to replace the flint on the rifle and smooth bore muskets. The fourth weapon that Burke showcased was a sniper percussion cap smooth bore Whitworth 45 Cal. musket.
The meeting was ended with the Sons of the American Revolution processional and invocation.
