As laughter filled the air at Sycamore Shoals, the ripples of waves could be spotted as a group made their way across the Watauga River.
The eighth-grade class at T.A. Dugger Middle School portrayed their own sort of impersonation of the Overmountain Men by reenacting the historic Watauga River crossing by the Overmountain Men performed during the Revolutionary War.
“We try to follow around the same time the OVT hike would have taken place,” TAD Assistant Principal Chris Berry said. “We’re about a week behind this year but this is something the students always look forward to. We talk about this event, historically, in our eighth-grade classes. We’re not quite there yet but it’s getting pretty close, timeline wise. They look forward and relate to it because we’re discussing American history in the classroom.”
Much like the stories of old, the students hiked through Watauga Flats and ended their journey at Sycamore Shoals State Park. Both areas proved to be pivotal areas during the Revolutionary War.
“It’s roughly around a seven- to eight-mile hike,” Berry said. “We pretty much followed the footsteps of the OVT hike. From close to Rocky Mount, Piney Flats, to Sycamore Shoals. You had groups meeting from Southwest Virginia, parts of Northeast Tennessee converging at these different spots before they came together as a unit before marching on to Kings Mountain.”
An annual tradition at the school, Berry also thanked the assistance provided by Sycamore Shoals State Park.
“Mr. Jason Davis is phenomenal,” Berry added. “He’s a park ranger here at Sycamore Shoals and he’s been great to work with. We’ve been doing this for years. He’s great about coming a day ahead of time to discuss the events with the classes.”